Van Jones tells Sacramento to 'dream big' on green energy

President Barack Obama’s controversial former "green jobs czar," Van Jones, on Tuesday called Proposition 23, the ballot measure seeking to postpone California’s landmark climate change law, a "sledgehammer that’s being designed to destroy your job creating machine."

Putting the state’s energy policies on hold just as they are ramping up is no way to make businesses happy, he said, countering claims that the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or Assembly Bill 32, will hurt the economy. Proposition 23 would put AB 32 on hold until unemployment in the state reaches 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters.

"You don’t make business people happy by making erratic policy," he said. "This is a ludicrous move."

Jones made his remarks before an audience of more than 350 people gathered for Mayor Kevin Johnson’s monthly Greenwise initiative meeting.

Jones, best-selling author of "The Green-Collar Economy," said Sacramento has the right ingredients to be a leader in the clean-energy economy, citing its universities, creativity, strong work force and access to capital.

"Sacramento can help the whole country realize the future of America is not down those holes," he said, referring to deep-water oil drilling and coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains. "If you want to see the future, look up. Look at the sky. Look at the wind."

Jones said he’s mad at BP, the fourth most profitable company in the world, for deciding not to put a $500,000 safety valve in place. But, he added, "I’m mad at us, too. If they’re the pusher, we’re the addicts."

BP’s "one act based on greed" led to a “horrible outcome for the whole world,” Jones said, urging Sacramento to take one small act “based on love.”

"Sacramento we need you to dream big ... to help pull California back together," he said.

Read more in the Sacramento Business Journal.