R52: Everybody wins

Published 12:32 pm Tuesday, September 7, 2010

As an environmentally-conscious student, I cannot find a downside to Referendum 52, a referendum up for approval in the November General election that would create a bond from existing taxes to use toward retrofitting schools across the state for energy efficiency.

I hate to use the cliché “kills two birds with one stone,” but that’s essentially what approving R52 will do. It addresses two major problems with many of Washington’s school buildings: unhealthy learning environments caused by mold, excessive CO2, asbestos, and other toxins and exorbitant energy bills from inefficient HVAC systems, lighting, water usage, etc.

On top of all of that, this program pays for itself.

Included in the bill is a mandate that savings from reduced energy bills meet or exceed expenditures in order for projects to be eligible under the bonds this referendum will create. So this program will save money in the long term without raising any taxes, while creating an estimated 30,000 construction jobs.

In the end, everybody wins. Approving R52 would create jobs, save money, reduce carbon emissions and energy use, and eliminate unhealthy learning environments. If you want to protect both our state’s children and environment, vote yes on R52.

Scott Chilberg, Bellevue