Talk about opportunities lost. The mind boggles when you stop and consider some of the things that could be different if we’d had a green Governor in Vermont over the last few years. Of course, we can never really quantify the decisions that were not made, the initiatives not undertaken, because citizens and activists knew they wouldn’t get past square one, but beyond that there are some very specific things we can point to that might have been different:
- We could have bought the Connecticut River Dams. This is a doozy. What an opportunity to affordably take control of our energy future. The dams, now owned by Trans Canada, could have given us public control over the generation of up to a quarter of our energy needs cleanly.
- We might have moved on the recommendations of the Climate Change Commission. Remember the Climate Change Commission? A lot of work and thought went into the recommendations from a fairly diverse body of members including environmental and business interests. All for nothing, as it turns out. With none of the recommendations implemented, the report is gathering dust on the Governor’s shelf.
- Energy planning, anyone? No plans, no strategic thinking, no nothing. Aside from whether or not Vermont Yankee closes in 2012, what exactly is the plan when it does close? What if an accident forces it’s closure? Is there any consistent plan for wind development? The administration has been encouraging biomass interests to come into the state, but it’s all wild west; there’s no schema in place to keep these folks from bumping into each other and problems could well be looming because of it. Think how far along we could if we’d had a green, forward-looking Governor who took these issues seriously.
That’s just a start. There are a couple others that jump immediately to mind that probably deserve a little more fleshing out than the above. Others? Where should we be in 2010?
Visit votegreengov.org and take the pledge to vote green in 2010! (a reminder that the posts explicitly promoting votegreengov – and those posts only – are being done as part of my working with LCV for the tail end of the election season)
I remember thinking that decision not to buy the Connecticut River Dams was a stunningly bad one. All well. Nobody’s perfect and we should wish Douglas well in retirement. Don’t be such an angry mob of partisan bloggers… and have a fightfully spooky Halloween!
it would never have been weakened in its purpose and administration. The braking effect ofAct 250 on unsustainable development has been cited as one of the principle reasons why Vermont isn’t in as deep economic doo-doo as most of the other states. This is no thanks to Douglas/Dubie and Co., whose strategic appointments have served to undermine both the intent and the letter of the Act 250 law.
In my little quarter of Vermont, if Act 250 had been upheld as originally crafted by the legislature, we would not have already gone through a second seven years of battling the plan to locate a Walmart big box on prime agricultural soil after it had already been denied once on the same site by the Vermont Supreme Court. For the people of Franklin County this would have probably meant that an appropriately sized and located department store to serve our needs would have long ago been established here to anchor a vibrant local economy. With that monster salivating on the horizon, what other significant retailer could even consider locating here?
My favorite is the CCC coming out with what, 38 specific recommendations, then Doesless asks for another study to look at them? This from people who complain about “study after study.”
And damn, it sure would be nice with the imminent post-Yankee world that we had an energy policy, oh…eleventy years ago.
The damn dams? Sigh.
huge lost opportunity was the Governor’s opposition to the “all fuels efficiency bill”
the consultant hired by Douglas’ own Dept. of Public Service estimated savings of almost $500 million over ten years for residents & businesses
the reduction in greenhouse gases would have been significant
Douglas said it was too expensive
that’s when I understood that he needed a remedial math class; the consultant’s found a return on investment of three or four to one