Editorial: Gov. Ritter strikes out at Coors Field

While we appreciate Gov. Bill Ritter’s pledge to “fight” global warming on Monday, we do not think it deserves much celebration. From a perch on Coors Field in Denver, Ritter said it was too early to discuss how much money the “fight” will cost, or where the state will find the money.

After months of political banter, this latest empty pledge — we’re going to do something, but we don’t know what, and we don’t know how — did set goals for major utilities, but avoided any risk by glossing over incentives to change consumer (voter) behavior.

During his talk, Gov. Ritter presented the ski industry as an example of what private industry can do — like spend money on wind power. On the consumer side, the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association argued that the fight could include incentives for Colorado residents to buy newer, cleaner cars.

More cars is not the answer, even if they get better gas mileage. We believe if the Governor is serious about lowering state emissions, he should begin budgeting incentives for statewide mass transportation, including through the I-70 corridor. To that point, the state’s blue ribbon panel discussing options for the corridor most likely will recommend more lanes on I-70, which means more exhaust pipes on the road.

Now would be the time for the Governor to step in and give the panel more direction, if he’s serious about lowering emissions statewide.

Most importantly, our tax dollars should not be used to sell more cars, when it is widely known that automotive exhaust is a large contributor to statewide pollution.

True change most likely will come when we install mass transportation and rearrange certain revenue sources currently important to maintaining state infrastructure, like the gas tax and Department of Motor Vehicles. Otherwise, we are heading toward clean air, but at the same time, economic ruin.

This is where it gets much more complicated than making grand pledges in baseball stadiums. From licenses to plates to the gas tax, our state economy and the average consumer’s way of life depends on driving, and driving a lot. Before we forego the automobile, or buy into a statewide climate solution, Ritter must show us he is serious about change by risking political suicide and addressing our economic addiction to automobiles.

Otherwise, all this talk is just more hot air.