But First, a Personal Note…
Before I get into Kamala Harris’ VP pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, I have some personal thoughts to share.
Last Friday, I went to an Emergency Room (ER) on the advice of my cardiologist due to pain just below my ribs, followed by nausea. Fortunately, after 12 hours there, all the testing showed it was a false alarm.
I thought about this more while reading a Facebook debate between a friend and her friend about whether or not crime is going up or down, and how safe people feel, in general. During those many hours in the ER, I observed lots of other people’s problems, lots of police, some people who seemed to be there just for the air conditioning, a little peace, and an environment based on care, not punishment.
Reliable research shows that the crime rate nationally has gone down, not up. But that does not pacify those who feel unsafe, or those in geographical pockets where crime is, in fact, high. Too often, feelings and facts simply do not mix well.
But I don’t think evidence is on the side of more jails to deal with most of the personal and community problems I witnessed in my local ER. Problems like drunk or dangerous driving, drug overdoses, loneliness, homelessness, poverty, a lack of consistent health care. I believe we need a far greater investment in – and more creative solutions for – the mental health of people and our communities.
We need more than Narcan to address addictions, more availability of longer-term emotional support than a hospital emergency room provides. Certainly, we need more than our current jails and prisons provide.
People need training in mediation and mutual respect to solve their differences peacefully. I wonder, how can those of us lucky enough to have supportive family and friends share our skills with people who do not have supportive networks?
Police, firefighters, teachers, librarians, and, yes, emergency room medical staff – what a tough job we have dumped on these professionals. They deal every day with people who have the toughest problems. Of course they must feel unsafe. How can we build better supports for first responders that will lead everyone to feel safer? And for all the souls who need mental health care, housing, and meaning in their lives – how can we help them get the care they need, so they can heal and not make others feel so threatened?
I hope the next Presidential administration and Congress will make these questions, and their potential solutions, a major priority.
V.P. Pick Tim Walz and Climate Change
As always, the other primary issue on our national and international agenda is climate change and the fossil fuels that feed it. I write this as another hurricane/tropical storm is threatening lives and properties from the Gulf Coast north through the Atlantic coast, and wildfires in Canada and California burn furiously, while the hottest summer on record wreaks havoc globally on lives and crops.
Last week, I blogged about Kamala Harris and her views on climate action. Climate activists are pleased at what they find. So what about her Vice Presidential running mate? There has already been plenty written about Tim Walz as a leader on this issue.
In Time’s article Tim Walz Knows How to Talk About Climate Change, you learn that Walz walks the talk: “Walz has delivered big climate wins despite a closely divided legislature. During his tenure, the state passed a law requiring Minnesota utilities to generate 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040, prioritized public transit and e-bikes in its $1.3 billion transport program, and created a $2 billion climate spending program that resembles the Inflation Reduction Act with incentives for everything from rooftop solar to electric school buses.”
Fast Company also asked, What has Tim Walz done for the climate as Minnesota governor? One answer: “Initially, Minnesota wasn’t on pace to reach its goal, but Walz found a solution: in 2024, he passed the bipartisan Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act to reform, and streamline, the permitting process for clean energy projects. That act is expected to cut permitting time by nine months to a year, per Utility Dive—shortening the total approval timeline by 50% or more.”
In a report by The New York Times, Tim Walz Has Championed Climate as Governor, we learn, “Over the past five years, extreme drought forced Minnesota cattle farmers to liquidate their herds Wildfire smoke from Canada choked the skies over the Twin Cities. A dearth of snow and ice across the Great Lakes region meant a lack of ice-fishing and cross-country skiing that triggered economic losses. During that time, Mr. Walz gradually embraced the role of climate champion.”
The NYT article quotes a 2019 executive order by Walz that established a climate change sub-cabinet within his administration.
“Climate change is an existential threat that impacts all Minnesotans and our ability to thrive.”
Politico’s Green Wire reports, What Harris’ pick of Tim Walz means for climate, energy: “Climate activists cheered Walz’s selection… Walz’s supporters…say his climate record is more than the sum of the policies he’s signed into law; it’s also how he’s made climate action politically possible in a purple state where Democrats held a bare legislative majority.”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – if you want to see action to reduce the use of fossil fuels and increase access to renewable energy, a vote for Democrats is the way to go. These previous blog posts explain why:
Will Kamala Harris Stand Strong on Climate Action?
What will Republicans, Democrats, and the U.S. Supreme Court do about Climate Change?
