Reforming DENR

The easy story line is that rapacious Republicans are out to gut North Carolina’s environmental protections.
 
Not so fast.
 
In fact, Governor Perdue might want to jump on this train while she’s restructuring state government.
 
There are economic developers and business people who are responsible on environmental issues AND convinced that DENR needs reform. They say it’s guilty of delays, bureaucratic dodges and sheer inaction – all of which costs cost jobs when we’re starved for jobs.
 
One of them said:

“DENR has created its own inevitable dismantlement by being an uncontrolled, unmanaged, nonsensical obstacle to economic growth for years. Rather than take a moderate, balanced approach, DENR has abused the law and the rules and gone too far over and over.”

It will be hard for Governor Perdue to raise her reelection sail as the “Jobs Governor” if DENR is a jobs anchor.
 
It might be good politics for her and for the Republicans – and good for North Carolina’s economy – to take on mending, not ending DENR (as Bill Clinton would say).
 
And heed one DENR critic who said: “The fix should be incremental: fix the biggest problems, come back later and fix some more.”
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Gary Pearce

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Reforming DENR

The easy story line is that rapacious Republicans are out to gut North Carolina’s environmental protections.
 
Not so fast.
 
In fact, Governor Perdue might want to jump on this train while she’s restructuring state government.
 
There are economic developers and business people who are responsible on environmental issues AND convinced that DENR needs reform. They say it’s guilty of delays, bureaucratic dodges and sheer inaction – all of which costs cost jobs when we’re starved for jobs.
 
One of them said:

“DENR has created its own inevitable dismantlement by being an uncontrolled, unmanaged, nonsensical obstacle to economic growth for years. Rather than take a moderate, balanced approach, DENR has abused the law and the rules and gone too far over and over.”

It will be hard for Governor Perdue to raise her reelection sail as the “Jobs Governor” if DENR is a jobs anchor.
 
It might be good politics for her and for the Republicans – and good for North Carolina’s economy – to take on mending, not ending DENR (as Bill Clinton would say).
 
And heed one DENR critic who said: “The fix should be incremental: fix the biggest problems, come back later and fix some more.”
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Gary Pearce

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