Guest View: COG’s lacking efficiency amounts to bigger hit on the environment

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is establishing limits
for carbon dioxide emissions.
BY MARVIN JONES

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is establishing limits for carbon dioxide emissions. Exceed the limit for your industry and your cost of doing business goes way up. Construction (cement), trucking, electric generation, and farming (both row crops and cattle) will all be hard hit. The cost of your food, your lights, and anything that is transported by truck will increase because of CARB. 

As a government entity, the San Benito County Transit may be exempt from CARB. 

During the period from October 1, 2007 and April 31, 2009, the Council of Governments (COG) spent an average of $13,000 a month for fuel for the County Transit system. The retail price of gasoline varied considerably during this period.  With their volume discount, the price was probably less than $2.50 per gallon. That translates into 5,200 gallons or just over 60 tons of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas each month. 

The County Express reported 8,409 total passengers during 29,735 “revenue miles” during June 2009. That is 3.5 miles per passenger or 14 pounds of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas per passenger. If the buses get 6 miles per gallon of gasoline, their occupancy rate is 1 passenger per bus. If the buses are more fuel efficient, the occupancy rate would be lower. 

COG’s FY ’09-’10 budget has over $800,000 to be paid to the San Benito County general fund for insurance and other services. That is $1,100 per ton of carbon dioxide. 

The county is experiencing financial problems like almost everyone else. Do not expect our board of supervisors to do anything that would jeopardize that revenue stream. 

Marvin L. Jones is a Hollister resident and chairman of the San Benito County Republican Party.