Cahvez pushes Clean Cars Program

STUCKER MEXICO UP TO SPEED WITH STATES LIKE CALIFORNIA TO CLEAN UP ALBUQUERQUE S AIR THE CLEAN CAR PROGRAM THAT IS HEAVILY BACKED BY MAYOR MARTIN CHAVEZ COULD BE IN PLACE AS SOON AS 2011 VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE IN SOUTHWEST ALBUQUERQUE WITH WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR NEW CAR BUYERS HYBRID ELECTRIC CLEAN FUEL BIO-DIESEL THESE ARE ALL ALREADY A REALITY WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING NEW CARS BUT SOON IT MAY BE THE STANDARD AT LEAST HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE THE NEW CLEAN CAR STANDARD IF ADOPTED BY ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY WILL APPLY ONLY TO NEW CARS ENVIRONMENT NEW MEXICO A NON PROFIT GROUP SAYS THE HIGHER STANDARDS WILL IMPROVE HEALTH BY CUTTING OUT SMOG HELP REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING AND ALSO MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE WHEN IT COMES TO ALTERNATIVE FUEL COSTS MAYOR CHAVEZ SAYS THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CROSSES ALL POLITICAL LINES Whether one just believes we ought to have clean air to breathe this is all the right thing to do and this is one of those rare issues where every American regardless of where they may be on the political spectrum ought to be together OPPONENTS ARE WORRIED THE STANDARDS WILL MAKE NEW CARS MORE EXPENSIVE FOR BUYERS BUT THOSE FOR THE PROPOSAL SAY THE SAVINGS IN FUEL WILL MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IF APPROVED BY THE AIR QUALITY CONTROL BOARD WHO WILL HOLD HEARINGS IN NOVEMBER ABOUT THE PROGRAM NEW MEXICO WILL BE THE 13TH STATE TO ADOPT A CLEAN CAR INITIATIVE THREE PEOPLE ARE UNDER ARREST AFTER LEADING