I serve on the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District. In fact, in January I am scheduled to be the Chair of the district. This morning I lost on a 10-2 vote regarding some proposed amendments to the "Motor Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Coating Operations".
The vote was everyone on the Board against myself and my fellow Yolo County Supervisor Duane Chamberlain. I tend to lose quite a few votes either 3-2 or 4-1 so that is not what had me thiking about this one vote all day.
The agenda and staff report are here. I draw your attention to point 6 of the rule requirements in the staff report.
As someone that believes in limited govenrment and truly desires smaller more efficient government I am often faced with trying to help make government programs run efficiently that I don’t necessarily believe in. That is not the case with the air district. The staff is exceptional and the results that have been acheived in terms of air quality are clear.
That part that bugs me is that we set up a regulation that prohibits people from possession of certain kinds of paints. Not using them. Not polluting the air with them, Just possessing them. I have a problem with that.
Some in the room argued that no good reason exists to have these paints unless you are intent on using them (and polluting the air). Well, that is not good enough for me.
The age old question of when you can stop someone from exercising their freedoms in terms of weapons is one that I have considered and struggled with for hours. I end up concluding that people should be free to own and possess pretty much any kind of firearm that they want.
So what is it about some paint that is so bad? Clearly the new coating options are better for the air and paint manufacturers are capable of producing products that are better for the environment. These should be used and I would argue that under federal law we have an obligation to require their use. However, what is wrong with possession of something? Maybe they will use it but use should be what is regulated not possession.
I lost a vote today 10-2 but I can’t help but feel that it is something far greater that was lost –. Individual freedoms.