Melissa Fox For Assembly

"We’ve all seen the devastation in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the offshore oil spill. We’ve seen the sea birds drenched in oil, fisherman out of work, beaches contaminated, a way of life destroyed.  We cannot allow this catastrophe to happen to us in California. As a coastal community, we cannot allow the ecological devastation in the Gulf of Mexico to happen here or anywhere in California. I strongly oppose the expansion of offshore oil drilling in California, We cannot allow our district to be represented in Sacramento by someone who would risk our way of life to drill for oil off our coast."  -- Melissa Fox

As a camper, hiker, volunteer Ranger with the Orange County Parks Department, and advocate for green jobs and new American sources of energy, Melissa knows the need for responsible stewardship of our land, water and air -- not only for all the recreational opportunities we enjoy, but also for our economic well-being now and in the future. 

Our beautiful beaches and coastline, our watershed, and our world-class surfing are a responsibility and a gift.

They bring millions of dollars to our community from all over the nation and the world. They are an essential part of the California Dream.

As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight for new local green jobs, the development of new American sources of energy, and responsible stewardship of our natural resources, including our ocean, waves, and beaches.

That's why Melissa Fox is endorsed by The Sierra Club.

She strongly opposes the expansion of off shore oil drilling.  As a coastal community, the 70th Assembly District cannot allow the economic catastrophe and ecological devastation taking place in the Gulf of Mexico to happen here or anywhere in California.

Though much still remains to be done to protect our natural resources, California can be proud of its bi-partisan commitment to the environment and the health of its citizens. 

We can be especially proud of our commitment to clean energy and air pollution control standards. These standards not only improve the health of Californians, they stimulate job creation, spur investments in clean technology, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Despite the benefits and popularity of our clean energy and air pollution standards, passed with the bi-partisan support of both Democrats and Republicans, these standards are under attack by well-funded out-of-state oil companies and their political allies.

Melissa's Republican opponent has called for more off-shore oil drilling (even after the BP disaster) and supports the foreign oil companies’ deceptive initiative to kill California’s clean energy and air pollution control standards.

He claims that our clean air standards are a job killer.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The truth is that if the oil companies’ initiative passes, California could lose more than $80 billion in gross state product (GSP) and face the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs by 2020.

According to the non-partisan, independent California Legislative Analyst’s Office, the
suspension of our new clean air standards would “delay investments in energy technologies reaping longer run savings, or dampen additional investments in clean energy technologies or in so called ‘green jobs’ by private firms, thereby resulting in less economic activity than would otherwise be the case.”

Far from being a “job killer,” our environmental standards are a tremendous boon to the California economy. Between 1990 and 2006, green technology businesses in California grew by 84 percent. In 2009, while other sectors saw little or no investment, California’s clean technology sector received $2.1 billion, 60 percent of the total in North America, and more than five times the investment in our nearest competitor.  Many of the companies creating new clean air and energy technologies are right here, in our 70th Assembly District.

Our clean air standards are also necessary to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In 2009, Americans spent $265 billion - $500,000 a minute - on foreign oil.  Eliminating our new clean energy and air pollution standards would result in even greater use of foreign oil in California and would undermine both our economy and our national security.

We can't let foreign oil companies and their political allies destroy the progress we've made.

Your support for Melissa in November will help ensure that we're represented in the Assembly by a defender of the environment, not an ally of the polluters and foreign oil companies.