RE: Presidential Politics

[Gail Tomlinson <gail.tomlinson@phila.gov>]

Fred -

I attended a forum sponsored by the Society of Women Environ-
mental Professionals here in Philadelphia on Friday where your
question of the candidates' environmental priorities were much
debated. Panelists presenting their views on candidates' positions
kept emphasizing the similarity in the end goals for the environment -
clean, safe, healthy.

But what struck me was that the tough issues weren't about
the final goals.  The real debate seemed to be about the process;
the litmus test, how the candidates were going to reach the goal.

I'm fairly new to the environmental field but I've seen the education
community torn apart by similar rhetoric - a kind of, "all you need
to do is care about children, but oh, by the way, you must care
for them or teach them the 'right' way/ my way/ our way".

Should I expect to see the same polarization on the basis of process 
while claiming we all have the same end goal, a clean, safe,
healthy environment?