It’s Not Easy Being Green (Especially If You Are Romney)

by Stuart Shapiro

Yesterday Alan posted about Governor Romney’s environmental record in Massachusetts.  But I think his record goes even further than Alan portrayed.  From later in the same article:

When Mr. Romney ran for governor in 2002, he fashioned himself “in the tradition of New England Yankee Republicans,” Mr. Clarke said — a tradition in which “the environment is a nonpartisan issue.”

He was animated by ideas like smart growth and sustainable development, former aides say. He wanted high-density housing clustered near public transportation, pedestrian-friendly urban areas and parks. To carry out his vision, he created an Office for Commonwealth Development, headed by an über-secretary who would integrate policy in housing, transportation, energy and the environment.

“Smart Growth” and “Sustainable Development”?  These are the phrases that the Tea Party associates with the UN and black helicopters planning a takeover of the US!  And Romney believed in them less than decade ago?  Well I guess being green didn’t work out for him, but it doesn’t look like deep red is working out to well either.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.