Time for Congress to Follow City Hall

By Christopher Truscott

Eagan’s Mike Maguire recently joined 22 other Minnesota mayors in signing the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, which calls on participants to work toward meeting or exceeding in their communities the standards outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.

Nationwide mayors in nearly 500 cities, with a combined population of 64 million, have accepted that in the 21st century we cannot afford to duck and cover and hope the grave threats posed by global climate change will magically disappear. These leaders understand that generating real solutions requires more action, less empty rhetoric and fewer hollow proposals.

The Minnesota mayors, like their counterparts across the country, serve citizens from all walks of life and recognize this is an issue that transcends the red-blue politics and urban-suburban-rural divisions that all too often mar important debates.

Unfortunately, however, this growing list of mayors willing to lead in their communities, country and world isn’t enough. They need the unconditional support of their federal government.

Isn’t it time members of Congress wake up and acknowledge what the people on Main Street have been saying for a while now?

Christopher Truscott can be reached at chris.truscott@gmail.com. He opted to roll down his car windows rather than use the air conditioning yesterday. It sucked, but he’ll do it again.