When it comes to Measure O, the ballot initiative to tax oil taken from within LA City limits, Janice Hahn was for it before she was against it before she was for it.
Responding to reports in Venice For Change and also at Calitics , Janice Hahn is apparently trying to rewrite history in regards to Measure O, the oil severance tax she opposed putting before voters for the March 8th special election.
The City Maven wesbsite is reporting tonight that Hahn is once more reversing her position on Measure O, releasing a statement in support.
“I’ve always supported an oil extraction tax, and I continue to support it. In fact, during my recent campaign for lieutenant governor, I proposed a statewide oil extraction fee to help fund higher education,” Hahn said. “I support Measure O. I proposed Measure O. I will vote for Measure O. I hope Measure O passes.”Quibbling with the past, Hahn went on to say that her no vote was out of an abundance of concern regarding voter turnout.
“I supported placing Measure O on a regular election ballot where turnout and participation is higher and it would have a greater likelihood of passing. I opposed placing it on the March ballot because turnout is substantially lower and less representative of the electorate as a whole,” Hahn said.
According to City Maven a review of of the November 17th council meeting shows there was no mention of voter turnout in regards to the oil tax. At the time, Hahn was quoted as saying,
“I’ve reconsidered this and I have heard from various business groups who do feel like this might be the wrong climate to put this on the ballot. We know the oil companies are probably going to mount a massive campaign to defeat this and at the end of the day, the way we’ve structured it, really would only generate around $2 million to the city of Los Angeles. So, at this time, it is my recommendation that we don’t put this forward on the ballot.”
KCET reports that the measure is opposed by the California Independent Petroleum Association, which has lobbied extensively to expand offshore drilling off the coast of California and in ANWAR, opposes Cap and Trade, and any limits to hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”), a controversial and dangerous means of natural gas extraction made famous by the HBO movie, “Gasland”
According the KCET, CIPA has given more than $400,000 to California candidates from 2001 to 2010. Sixty-two percent of those candidates were Republicans.
Some of Measure O’s opponents have gone on to endorse Janice Hahn in her bid to win the Congressional seat vacated by Jane Harman.
Can go Frack themselves, This state needs what other states that allow oil to be pumped out of their territory get, An Oil Severance Tax, As without that, It may as well be stolen oil, Cause that oil collectively belongs to the People of the State of California, Otherwise It should be regarded as Grand Theft of our Natural Resources without any tax payments.
She’s the type of person who should be primaried if she were in congress. Of course, she’d probably lose the general in 2012 like she did last time.
This scandal just makes a mockery of the losers who have endorsed her.
From todays LA Times..”Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes the Wilmington refinery zone, initially proposed the oil-extraction tax idea but then urged her colleagues to drop it because of a likely “massive campaign” by oil companies against it”
This clearly shows that Janice is not only in favor of Measure O butis actually a leader in the City Council who understands ways to bring in revenue to a financially strapped city AND also understands that sometimes it is better to back off a good idea and not pick a fight that will cost the same city money it does not have. That’s why I am supporting Janice to be the next Congresswoman for CD 36. Because changing your mind doesn’t always mean that you are slippery, sometimes it means that you have more information and are making a better decision. Trying to defame someone because they changed their mind on an issue or changed course in their actions is the lowest form of political attacks and I’m surprised that Marta Every is practicing it. It is something I usually associate with Republicans.
A politician flipping votes for endoresments…how shocking.