Kudos to Mayor Athas for Taking a Stand

Many thanks to our mayor, Denise Athas, for showing extraordinary leadership in opposing city council’s decision Tuesday to stay with PG&E as its electric power company.

The option was to go with Marin Clean Energy, an upstart joint powers authority that the Novato City Council voted to join last fall. Denise said that after being stuck in traffic and breathing so many fumes plus studying the expensive city report, which said that MCE reduces toxic gases from the air at 30 percent more than PG&E, she voted for MCE.

Our mayor is concerned about our health. Evidence of the toxins we now have affecting our health and costs in the billions of dollars is found in an excellent study done by our renowned League of Women Voter’s article.

When there are personal and public reports of moving forward to protect our breathing and ways to reduce cancer risks — and we have leadership in those areas — then it is time to overcome the fears of opting out of PG&E. I wonder if the city is penny-foolish and pound-foolish at the same time.

The additional costs of $7,800 for MCE is variable and is an estimate and can easily be absorbed by the city, whereas while the costs of the new office building of $14 million might not be so easily absorbed.

Denise has taken the right step in trying to lead the city to become a healthier place to live. Kudos to her.