Editor,

With this year’s legislative session finally ending, we owe gratitude to state Sen. Barbara Bailey for leading a successful effort to reduce tuition at local colleges. The resulting 15 percent price drop for enrollees at UW represents the largest tuition cut in state history, and is a good start to returning public higher education to something the public can afford.

Still, what happened to the climate legislation? Our legislators had everything necessary for decisive action this term: scientific consensus justifying action, a growing clean-air technology market, the right economic tools, public opinion in favor of action, and the moral imperative to act, as so clearly elucidated recently by both Catholic and Episcopal leadership.

In this context, our legislators’ failure to act on climate tarnishes what would have otherwise been a good session.

Odd, really, that they acted strongly, and rightly so, to fund education while turning their backs on the youth to whom we are passing down an increasingly fiery climate and acidifying, dying oceans.

Absent the needed legislative fix, a citizen initiative is exactly what’s called for. Fortunately we have one: Initiative 732.

A team of Whidbey volunteers is currently gathering signatures for I-732, which is designed to provide a market-based incentive for the low-carbon economy we need. Modeled on British Columbia’s successful effort, I-732 would put a tax on carbon pollution, simultaneously offsetting the revenue gained by reducing the sales tax and cutting the hated B&O tax for manufacturers.

There is a calculator at carbonwa.org where you can see how your family or business will do under the new tax incentives.

I-732 implements a market-based approach to the problem of carbon pollution. Similar efforts on the national level have a long list of conservative economic supporters, including former Secretary of State George Schultz, who served four Republican administrations, and Greg Mankiw, former chairman of George W. Bush’s council of economic advisors.

When you see Sen. Bailey, Rep. Dave Hayes or Rep. Norma Smith, thank them for their actions in support of education, but ask them why they only did half their job. Remind them that the head of the Episcopal Church just called ignoring climate change “sinful” and tell them that while legislators fiddle, you’re supporting I-732.

Bob Hallahan

Oak Harbor

Citizens’ Climate Lobby Whidbey Island