Hate. This. State.

Ever since the Assembly and Senate fixed the budget problem, attention in Sacramento has shifted to alleviating draconian private-property restrictions throughout the state, encouraging new business and stimulating the real-estate market in areas crippled by the sub-prime loan collapse. Just kidding:

Under the draft plan released by the ARB [Air Resources Board] in June, the state seeks to eliminate 2 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through land-use decisions that will reduce the need for Californians to drive. But Nichols said the ARB would not get involved in micromanaging local land-use decisions.

“The ARB will not be making land-use decisions,” she said. “We will just set targets. It will be up to the locals to implement the plans that meet those targets.”

Translation: "The ARB will not be making land-use decisions."

Don't worry, it's all part of the plan to save us from ourselves:

“SB 375 would become the vehicle to implement the land use portion of AB 32,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. “It would carry out the draft scoping plan for the land-use sector.”

AB 32, introduced by Fabian Nunez (D, Los Angeles), hosts some incredible gems of bulletproof logic and scientific rigor:

Global warming poses a serious threat to the economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment of California. The potential adverse impacts of global warming include the exacerbation of air quality problems, a reduction in the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra snowpack, a rise in sea levels resulting in the displacement of thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine ecosystems and the natural environment, and an increase in the incidences of infectious diseases, asthma, and other human health-related problems.

Once the premise is established, the ends justify any means. All they're missing is the tagline "... for the children.":

The bill would require the state board to monitor compliance with and enforce any rule, regulation, order, emission limitation, emissions reduction measure, or market-based compliance mechanism adopted by the state board, pursuant to specified provisions of existing law. The bill would authorize the state board to adopt a schedule of fees to be paid by regulated sources of greenhouse gas emissions, as specified.

In making the determinations required by subdivision (b), the state board shall consider all relevant information pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs in other states, localities, and nations, including the northeastern states of the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

What? Did anyone read this bill before it was rammed through the Assembly? Remember, the members of these boards are appointed officials, and like the already-declared-illegal Coastal Commission, have humbly offered to expedite your hearing by serving as lawgiver, judge, jury, executor and executioner.

According to an unofficial ballot from the vote, some of the assembly members did, or at least had an instinctual dislike for AB 32... However, it's worse than I thought, as it's not just the politicians that are drinking the Kool-Aid:

The California Field Poll has released today a survey of our state's voters that has astronomically high levels of support for the bill passed last year to reduce greenhouse gases to mitigate the effects of global warming. By a margin of 79% to 17%, California's voters approve of AB 32. 81% responded that global warming was a very serious (56%) or somewhat serious (25%) problem while only 17% stated that it was not a serious problem.

Translation: 4 of 5 Californians implicitly agree that public education is working as intended, and as a result harbor a mental deficiency that should exclude them from approaching within 100' of a official polling area. As Triton has eloquently covered as of late, voting is a privilege, not a right, and should be restricted. And yes, I'd give up my vote for more liberty. Your bid, California.

And not that I had a special reserve of expectations, but that includes the catfish-wrap right here in town. That's right, CN&R, I'm calling you out.