Bakersfield - United Farm Workers co-founder and President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Dolores Huerta and Yes on 87 Founder Anthony Rubenstein today led a discussion with Bakersfield residents about how Proposition 87 will bring cleaner air and cheaper energy to California. Bakersfield is where the majority of California oil is pumped, and has the worst air quality in the nation in terms of ozone, according to the American Lung Association.

"Californians are breathing the nation's most polluted air and are paying the nation's highest gas prices. Proposition 87 will bring us the cleaner air and cheaper energy we need," Huerta said. "Latinos and working people can make the difference in this election, and we should - we are disproportionately affected by asthma and the other health affects of air pollution."

"We can either keep importing more and more oil from places like Saudi Arabia or start relying on cleaner, cheaper energies produced in places like Stockton and Bakersfield," Rubenstein said. "Prop. 87 gives Californian's choices. We can continue doing things the oil company way, and keep depending on foreign oil, keep spending more and more on expensive, imported fuels that pollute our air. Or we can pass Prop. 87 and use cleaner, cheaper, fuels that are made right here at home."

In its most recent national air quality report, the American Lung Association gave Kern County a grade of "F" in terms of air quality. 95% of Californians live in areas that fail to meet state and federal air quality standards. One in five San Joaquin Valley children has asthma so severe they miss school. There are 3.3 million school absences each year due to asthma attacks, according to the California Air Resources Board.

The impacts of exposure to diesel and gas pollution, such as premature death, heart disease, asthma and bronchitis, cost California $21.5 billion in 2004 health care costs. This does not include impacts such as missed work and school.

"This tour shows Californians there are cars, trucks and SUVs on the road right now that can run on cheap, alternative fuel, we don't have to change anything," Rubenstein said. "Prop. 87 makes oil companies pay out of their $78 billion in profits. Consumers pay nothing."

Yes on 87 is taking statewide a small fleet of vehicles - including a Ford F-350 pick-up truck and a Volkswagen Jetta sedan - that run on cleaner, cheaper fuels, providing a direct demonstration to Californians of what Prop. 87 will bring when passed.

Proposition 87 will bring cleaner air and cheaper energy to California by reducing our dependence on foreign oil with cleaner, cheaper and domestic fuels. This effort will be funded by oil drilling fees paid by oil companies.

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