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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I had a problem deciding what to
think about Morgan Hill mayoral race. I don't think that I was the
only one. The signs posted all over town don't begin to give us
any idea of what the candidates will actually do when they are
elected and the one mailer I have gotten, from Art College, only
reiterates the point that he is not happy with the manner in which
the City has protected our tax dollars. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I did, however, have a means to
resolve this for me. Since I write this column, I decided to ask
each of the three to comment on an issue that is very important to
me with the warning that I would use it for this column. I wrote:
<font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">“I
believe that our response to climate change, or lack of such
a response, is the defining issue of our age.<br>
<br>
I want to know: (1) do you agree with that position? </font></font></font><font
color="#0000ff"> </font>If not, then why not.<font
color="#0000ff"> </font>(2)<font color="#0000ff"> </font><font
color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">what
do you believe our local community should be doing now in
response?</font></font></font><font color="#0000ff"> </font>(3)
are you<font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font
size="3"> willing to provide local public funding in support
of any project you identify in the answer to #2?”</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are many important issues with
innumerable advocates demanding our attention. I focused on
climate change because it is the one issue, other than the use of
nuclear weapons, that has the potential to end civilization as we
are living it now. As Co-Chair of the EcoAction Committee, Green
Party US, I spent many hours on this issue, analyzing all of the
reports including those of the climate deniers. To summarize
several years of study, one side of the argument has facts, the
other has a well financed disinformation machine. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Art College's response to the first
question was “No, I do not agree with your position. The science
and research done to arrive at you conclusion was faulty,
manipulated and full f errors. I cannot support junk science and
this is truly in that category.” </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">College has clearly not done his
homework. The climate denial disinformation from Sen. Inhofe
(R-OK) on the Senate's web site, published at government expense,
are more filled with errors, distortions and lies than anything
written by any climate scientist. It would seem that College has
lost faith in science as an institution, much as he seems to have
no faith in our local government as an institution. Such a view is
not uncommon these days, but will be the subject of another
column. It is, however, not the view that I want my Mayor to have.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">College has been effective
independent voice, calling attention to the failings of our city
leaders at times. He should continue speaking out while he devotes
more time to understanding what climate change is really about and
how it will affect us all. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Marby Lee was a bit closer to what I
think, but was also unwilling to deal with the problem. Her
response to my first question was: “I believe that there are many
issues affecting our community, and many questions about the
validity of climate change. To call this one issue the defining
issue of our age is to discount all the challenges our community,
state, and country face at this time.” Like College, Lee has
voiced doubts about climate change, or at least it's importance.
If she has other issue that she feels are more important, she has
not made that clear to me. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lee's response to my second question
tells me more about her “Morgan Hill has taken a very proactive
environmental agenda, and while I agree there are some actions
that should be taken to keep our environment clean and safe, I
also get concerned when actions in support of this agenda are a
detriment to our economy – I have mostly seen this in higher costs
to implement such an agenda.” This is the pseudo argument of Prop
23, that we can not afford to do anything about climate change now
while the economy is so bad. This argument, often voiced by the
anti-environment lobby, will never change. It will always be the
reason for doing nothing other than continuing the policies that
make the problem worse. Lee's willingness to condemn us, and our
children, to an unpleasant future for short term gain should not
by rewarded by election to higher office.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Only Steve Tate seemed willing to
take effective local action. In response to my third question,
Tate wrote “I believe it is still a high Council priority, it is
definitely for me, but we have to deal with our financial
situation. We do still have Tony, he is still pursuing many of the
programs/strategies on a priority basis, so we have not in any way
abandoned our efforts.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't always agree with Tate, but
he will have my vote in that he takes my issue seriously and is
willing to work to make effective local change. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br>
</p>
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