Election 2012: A View from the Parking Lot

As the dust settles over the most expensive presidential election in our nation’s history, one may ask, “how did candidates fare that have taken a political stand on the issue of coal tar sealant pollution?” During this election cycle, I am not so naive to think that this was a deciding factor, but it may be an indicator of vision and leadership that our country needs.

While this is a bit more of a retrospective, perhaps in future elections we may be able to put together key elections and positions of candidates.

Most importantly, Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) won re-election in a re-constituted, sliver-of-a district that runs from Austin to San Antonio. Congressman Doggett earlier this year introduced legislation for a nationwide ban. He has long been a champion for the environment and particularly for the elimination of coal tar sealants. We re-published Doggett’s perspective on coal sealers in a post here.

How have his bill co-sponsors fared? Here they are:

Congressman Jim McDermott, Washington (re-elected)
Congressman Keith Ellison, Minnesota (re-elected)
Congressman Mike Quigley, Illinois (re-elected)
Congressman Bill Keating, Massachusetts (re-elected)

And the main sponsor of the California coal tar ban legislation, Jared Huffman, is moving from the California state legislation to the US Congress. He has already pledged his support for this national legislation.

At the state level, one of the key leaders supporting the elimination of coal tar sealants in Minnesota is Representative Bev Scalze. Her statewide leadership has elevated Minnesota in the nation on this topic. She actually moved to the state senate.

The statistics bear out that supporting common-sense, pro-business and pro-environmental regulation of coal tar sealants, is part and parcel with sound political leadership. I think we can all agree that our nation of communities will need more of this in the days and years ahead.