It’s Raining Whoppers From California Senate Republican Candidate Tony Strickland

By David Allgood
Southern California Director
California League of Conservation Voters

I’ve spent most of the last twenty years in the political arena working to elect environmental leaders to legislative bodies in California. Spin, exaggeration, and stretching the truth by candidates long ago ceased to shock me. So when a friend encouraged me to listen to a radio spot aired by Ventura- and Santa Barbara-based Senate District 19 candidate Tony Strickland I had no expectation of the jaw-dropping impact.

Let the whoppers begin.

Whopper 1-Tony “lives” for a cleaner environment.

“Some people talk about a cleaner environment. I live it”. This from a man who voted 119 times out of 121 against environmental protection during his six year term in the Assembly. If this was a printed statement, one might charitably consider the possibility of a colossal typographical error. Alas, this was a radio spot featured on the candidate’s own website. You can use the google to find it.

Whopper 2-The Ballot Designation

Stricklands’s ballot designation is “Alternative Energy Executive”. Here’s what the Ventura County Star had to say about that: Strickland, “who has spent his entire adult life either working in the legislature or running for political office, has decided to present himself to voters this year wearing the mantle of a newfound vocation: ‘Alternative Energy Executive.’” To do so, he formed a new wave energy company with four political friends, but didn’t even put up the $5,000 the others had pledged to start the company”.

Whopper 3-The “Alternative” Energy Executive

This putative Alternative Energy Executive voted against every alternative energy bill that came his way. He even voted against requirements for renewable energy generation (SB 1078-Byron Sher) that would have benefitted his own company.

Whopper 4-Tony Cares About Energy Independence

In his six years in the Assembly, Strickland voted against every piece of legislation requiring energy conservation tracked by the California League of Conservation Voters. Interestingly, he has taken nearly $60,000 in contributions from oil companies.

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