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November 15, 2005
Mayor Bill Takes On Pollution
Fresh off a rather convincing reelection win (91%), Houston Mayor Bill White yesterday unveiled a new plan to fight air pollution.
Given Houston's poor air quality -- a new EPA study showed Los Angeles again inching ahead of us for worst in the country, but we're right up there -- an ambitious plan is welcome.
White seems to be treading a narrow path that both holds industry to tougher air quality standards while attempting to enlist them as partners in the solving the problem. While industry must be better corporate citizens in this regard, demonizing major regional employers and economic stimulators is not productive. The Mayor's path is precarious, to say the least, but if anyone can do it, it's probably Bill White.
Public consciousness on pollution as a health and quality of life issue has risen in recent years, and pollution's impact on economic development is increasingly understood as well. Houston has lost out on corporate relocations, and sometimes has difficulty attracting top professionals here in part due to our "quality of life" issues, of which air pollution is a big one.
Funding for the City's plan remains unclear, but it is a good step to have a concrete plan to reduce air toxics. Quality of life is slowly but surely improving in Houston, and Mayor White's pollution plan is a good next step.
Posted by houtopia at November 15, 2005 06:21 PM