Correcting the record on climate
In an op-ed published on Sept. 10, former GOP candidate for Connecticut governor Bob Stefanowski spread disinformation on the Transportation and Climate Initiative that needs to be corrected.
For background, the Transportation and Climate Initiative is a bipartisan multistate program that aims at capping emissions from transportation while investing revenues in clean transportation schemes (like electric school buses.)
First, Mr. Stefanowski contends that TCI will raise gas prices by 17 cents. This is incorrect and this assertation has been debunked many times. In reality, if all the costs of the program are passed to the consumer, gas prices will increase by five cents in the first year and 10 cents over the next 10 years.
Second, he creatively claims that, if passed, TCI will push the price of a tank of gas up $20. Given that a gas tank holds on average 12 gallons, a 5 cents per gallon increase would result in 60 cents increase per gas tank, very far from the $20 forecast by the Republican polemicist.
Mr. Stefanowski concludes his op-ed by writing “higher taxes can wait,” which has been the argument from nihilist climate delayers for decades. Nowhere can we find Mr. Stefanowski’s plan for addressing air pollution in our state or his policies for tackling climate change. To borrow Mr. Stefanowski’s ending, “our kids can’t wait” for Republican leaders to take this public health crisis seriously.
Long gone is the time when Republicans were outspoken environmental leaders. The Clean Air Act was signed in 1970 by President Nixon to “foster the growth of a strong American economy and industry while improving human health and the environment.” Closer to us, the Transportation and Climate Initiative was first introduced in 2010 by Connecticut GOP Gov. Jodi Rell. After signing the declaration of intent on TCI, Gov. Rell wrote:
“While this effort will improve the air we breathe, it will also help Connecticut to grow a new state economy around electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure. This is just as much a jobs initiative as it is an environmental initiative. … Together, we will clear the air and clear the way for a vibrant industry in alternative and renewable energy technology.”
Charlie Baker, the popular GOP governor of Massachusetts, is also a supporter of TCI, cementing the bipartisan nature of the program. Mr. Stefanowski and his Republican friends should look at what make GOP campaigns successful. Unlike Mr. Stefanowski, Govs. Rell and Baker were successful in their election bids.
Climate change is not a partisan issue. The vast majority of Connecticut residents support policies tackling climate change, including regulating CO2 as a pollutant. TCI is a step in the right direction towards a cleaner Connecticut.