Good Luck, Van

I'm very disappointed with Van Jones' decision to resign as White House environmental adviser over the weekend.  I just started reading The Green Collar Economy and while I do not agree with all of his ideas, his book is an excellent read that explains how creating jobs and saving the environment are not mutually exclusive.

 

Too bad Obama caved in to the right wing smear machine, especially those cogs like Glenn Beck who are delusional and even, in my view, mentally unstable.  I do not know much about Jones' past:  the alleged Marxist affiliations, calling the Republicans "---holes" (read about the entire incident), and the grandstanding while Willie Brown was mayor of San Francisco.  But I do believe in redemption, and Jones has proven himself to be a compelling voice during this "green" conversation in which our nation is involved.  Meanwhile, we have revolting elected officials who question Obama's legitimacy with glee, and nothing happens.

 

The tragedy of Jones' departure is that he is a great spokesman for those passionate about "green" and "clean."  Too often the green movement has been led by the sanctimonious, living-on-dividend-income, anti-business, white and CLUELESS crowd who should receive credit for their passion . . . but probably don't even understand the "word" credit and how it's crucial for young companies that want to do good and do green.  The environmental movement often ignored minorities and poor people; it's not okay for increased refinery capacity if it's in a poor town like Richmond, CA, or in a remote area such as Martinez or Benicia--but not in their backyard in the Marina, Tiburon, or Berkeley.

 

Obama's having a rough time this summer:  much of it is due to a crowd that just cannot accept the fact that he's President, and with lying demagogues like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich leading the mob, his message is not getting out.  Part of the blame is Obama's however:  we need a commander-in-chief, not cheerleader-in-chief, and frankly, I think many of the people surrounding him are providing him nothing but disservice.  One issue are the countless "czars" or policy experts that are crammed into this administration:  by most counts there are between 30 and 40 of these folks, who do not need to go through the rigorous (and painful) vetting though which cabinet officials must endure.  Jones was one of these "czars," and since these "questions" weren't asked, it fueled the paranoia and contempt behind the attacks on Jones . . . and now Team Obama has caved in and we lost a great voice in DC.

 

Good luck, Van.  You did not deserve this, and the green collar movement about which you wrote so eloquently and passionately needs you.