BILLIONAIRE DEMOCRATIC DONOR BEHIND ALTERNATIVE-FUEL BALLOT INITIATIVE

Billionaire Hollywood producer and major Democratic Party contributor Steve Bing is spearheading a drive to put on the November ballot a charge on oil to raise $4 billion for numerous alternative-energy projects. Environmental groups and academicians are also backing the measure, which is awaiting approval in the attorney general's office. Meanwhile, the oil industry and other organizations are beginning a major public relations campaign to defeat the measure, calling it a hidden tax that will hurt consumers and businesses, sources...