Jackson EPA nomination debate takes off
Jackson record comes under fire –
Sierra Club head shifts blame and calls Corzine “the worst environmental Governor ever”
[Update: see: Jackson Divides NJ Environmentalists – Public Praise contrasts sharply with private criticisms
http://blog.nj.com/njv_bill_wolfe/2009/01/jackson_divides_nj_environment.html ~~~ end update]
The political rhetoric over the Obama administration’s rumored nomination of Governor Jon Corzine’s Chief of Staff and former NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson has migrated from the NJ press to the DC beltway and progressive blogs. Today it reached a boil. See: http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/09/corzine-lisa-jackson-remarkable/
So, lets take a closer look at the issues behind the news for the real story.
Kicking things off earlier this week, a scathing press release by the watchdog group, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has gotten lots of DC media and blog play:
WHY LISA JACKSON SHOULD NOT RUN EPA — Disastrous Record in New Jersey Bodes Ill for Reforming EPA
http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1136
Today, Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club lobbyist responded to defend Jackson.
It’s no secret that Tittel – the sultan of the sound-bite – has pulled his punches and been a longtime cheerleader for Lisa Jackson. In one of many examples, in 2007, he applauded Jackson and Corzine’s photo op to mark the 37th anniversary of Earth Day. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2007/07_0023.htm
Caption: At Earth Day 2007 DEP press event, Jeff Tittel (left) applauds Governor Corzine and Lisa Jackson’s (center) “Category 1 stream buffer initiative” at Stony Brook Watershed in Hopewell, NJ. After the press conference, when Tittel finally read the fine print, he then criticized numerous loopholes in the DEP rules – but not Jackson who made the policy calls on the ruleTittel let loose with this desperate whopper, as reported in The New Republic:
“Earlier this afternoon, I called Jeff Tittel, who directs the Sierra Club’s New Jersey chapter and has worked closely with Jackson on a number of environmental initiatives over the years. He quickly dubbed PEER’s press release “total crap” and criticized PEER for having little on-the-ground presence in New Jersey. In Tittel’s view, any blame for New Jersey’s mixed environmental record should rest squarely on the shoulders of, ironically, Corzine himself, whom Tittel called “the worst environmental governor we’ve ever had.”
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/environmentandenergy/archive/2008/12/11/sorting-the-controversy-over-obama-s-epa-pick.aspx
First off, in addition to Lisa Jackson, Tittel has been a cheerleader for Corzine too – spending a July 2007 afternoon with the Governor and Al Gore in a skybox at the Meadowlands:
Caption: At a political event in NJ Meadowlands in July 2007, Jeff Tittel (left) applauds Governor Jon Corzine’s signing of the Global Warming Response Act. After Lisa Jackson failed to implement the law, Tittel called Corzine “nothing but hot air“18 months later, after Lisa Jackson failed to implement the law, Tittel curiously gave Jackson a pass and instead attacked Corzine:
“Instead of leading the fight on global warming, Governor Corzine is just adding more hot air,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the Sierra Club’s New Jersey chapter.”
Corzine nothing but hot air, enviro groups say
Thursday, September 25, 2008 http://www.northjersey.com/environment/Corzines_got_nothing_but_hot_air_enviro_groups_say.html
Tittel also provided cover and derailed criticism of Jackson for caving in to developers when she issued an Order that created the “Permit Efficiency Task Force”. Deftly diverting media attention from Jackson, Tittel instead chose to focus on and criticize the Department of Community Affairs Commissioner, ironically for the same pro-development policies Jackson embraced. See:
DEP Fast Track is Back – environmental rollbacks underway
http://blog.nj.com/njv_bill_wolfe/2008/03/dep_fast_track_is_back_environ.html
Second, his defense of Jackson makes no sense.
If Jackson is so pro-environment and Corzine is “the worst environmental governor e ever”, then why would Jackson resign from DEP to be his Chief of Staff? What does that say about Jackson? If Corzine is the worst and Jackson is green, I guess that means that Jackson has little influence. And what does that say about Corzine’s praise of Jackson as a good candidate to lead EPA?
If Jackson couldn’t stand up to NJ Democrats and defend the integrity of the NJ DEP, how is she going to stand up to the Obama White House, Congress and national polluters to lead EPA out of the ditch dug by 8 years of Bush?
But worse, Tittel’s claim that PEER has “little on-the-ground presence in New Jersey” is a bald faced lie. I’ve been PEER’s “on the ground presence” for the last 3 years.
Tittel knows I worked for PEER. He also knows I’ve been “on the ground” working on NJ environmental issues since 1985. He also knows that the national PEER office press release was based on my work holding Jackson accountable for the last 3 years. He also knows I’ve recently left PEER for a new job (at Pew), and can not talk to reporters or go on the record to rebut his cover stories. Or maybe he thinks he can spin the DC press corps and it won’t get back to NJ.
As to the substance of Jackson’s record and whether the PEER press release is “crap”, readers can review all the documents on the Jackson record and then decide for themselves. Each one of these PEER reports provides links to supporting DEP documents. Here’s the link:
http://www.peer.org/state/state_info.php?sid=nj
Oh, and pictures don’t lie – Tittel – who just called Corzine “the worst environmental Governor ever”- praised Corzine on the environment as recently as March 23, 2008 – that’s Jeff on the far right and Lisa Jackson on the left, handing out pens.
At a political event, Jeff Tittel (far right) applauds Governor’s Corzine’s March 25, 2008 signing of horseshoe crab moratorium bill to preserve migratory birds, notably, red knot.And just for the record, although you wouldn’t know it from reading the Jackson cheerleading in the press, the NJ Chapter of Sierra Club:
1) endorsed Jon Corzine for Governor in 2005
2) testified in opposition to the “Regional Green House Gas Initiative” (RGGI) cap and trade legislation negotiated by Lisa Jackson
3) testified in opposition to the Permit Extension Act negotiated by Lisa Jackson
4) testified in opposition to a Lisa Jackson’s legislation to privatize the DEP toxic waste cleanup program
Just the facts.
S-L links no longer valid – referenced article above from March 2008.
Credibility IS a scarce resource – but don’t try to tell that to the king of “Rectal Environmentalism” (defined as simply pulling “stuff” right out of ones’ backside and peddling it as fact, when it is anything but).
Bill,
Thanks for setting the record. Its amazing that nobody called Tittel on his blatant hypocrisy a long time ago. As the most powereful environmental lobbiest in Trenton he has been able to control the politics of the environment for far too long. It looks like that kind of power has distorted his perspective of the “on the ground” environmental issue in NJ. This may be hard for him to see from the skybox in the Meadowlands. It really is time for new blood in the Trenton environmental scene. It has become as corrupt and cynical as the rest of Trenton politics.
Great post Wolfe,
I was surprised to hear the glowing endorsement of Ms. Jackson by Jeff Tittel. I don’t think she has been particularly effective either — whether she was handcuffed and made certain decisions for political reasons, or whether she’s just a weak administrator can and should be debated. There may be very valid reasons for some of these decisions, so I reserve judgment on some of this stuff. But I certainly wouldn’t endorse her based on what I’ve seen of her tenure. Since there is a major Superfund site in my town, I’m keenly interested in who gets the Administrator position, and I’m concerned about her in this job. I think there are better choices for the post.
You’re absolutely right to question her strength based on her tenure in this job and how that will play out in Washington. Jeff’s unwillingness to question her credentials, and his attacks on those who do question them, is just designed to curry favor with her. Jeff’s argument that she’s really great but has been hamstrung because the Governor is bad on environmental issues doesn’t comfort me in the slightest. (And it sounds a lot like other crazy excuses I’ve heard from him). As you point out, it doesn’t bode well for what she’ll do in the next administration when she has to stand up.
When I heard all this glowing praise from Jeff I figured it was an attempt to make himself a big wheel at EPA if she happened to get picked. Then he can start getting quoted in the national media. But I’m really disgusted that he chose to throw you (who he’s had a long relationship with) and PEER under the bus. He has lost a great deal of credibility with the NJ environmental community over the past few years…this is a great example of why.
Lisa Jackson is all about politics, not the environment. I am really disappointed that the Obama administration couldn’t find a more worthy candidate for such an important office. Makes you wonder how that “payback” system works.
And I’m also disappointed in Jeff Tittel . I used to have a much better opinion of him, but I can not understand his support of Jackson. I think Tittel has become more focused on the political angle, at the expense of the environment.
Reports that Jackson was in the lead started once Waxman was nominated for a cabinet position, as if there couldn’t be two nominees from California. Why it should matter is beyond me. The people of NJ shouldn’t get angry if the better candidate is selected to protect the public and environment rather than a NJ appointee. Jackson isn’t really “from” NJ anyway! How dumb of the Obama Transition Team….oh wait ….Jackson was on that! The best we can hope for is that the energy czar and Sec. for the DOE will carry some of the load that Jackson will drop like a hot potato.
PART 11
(I divided my comment into two parts as I realize many people won”t read through one long post)
But back to Bill Wolfe, who has a vision as profound, far-reaching, and complex as Dr. Speth’s and Dr. Montague’s:
No matter who says what about who’s been on the ground in NJ for how long, Bill Wolfe has been more vigilant by himself than most large, well-funded enviros with well-paid staffs and interns–showing up at public hearings, speaking at them, reminding us to attend and reporting back to those of us who didn’t; writing articles and blog posts; engaging in conversations with any individual, no matter how unknown in the enviro community, who shows eagerness for real change and a willingness to act; bringing his knowledge and experience to bear on issues as seemingly diverse as (though ultimately inextricably connected, as Wolfe has said numerous times) environmental justice, clean water in the Highlands, green jobs. I could go on.
What Tittel said was a travesty. What it is says about the fact that we’ve let the situation get this far is even worse.
All I can say is anything that rids NJ of Lisa Jackson gets my support. On the national stage she will just be revealed or reviled by more watchdogs. The Europeans have a saying “The higher a monkey climbs a flagpole, the more of its rear-end will be seen.” Good Riddance Lisa, good for NJ, bad for the USA. At least on the national stage she will be more often exposed and opposed as being inept….
Looks like someone’s been busy deleting comments as “Inappropriate” here – and I’m sure it’s not Wolfe (he has a great distaste for blogs being “Mulshined”) . That’s too bad – I guess Tittel being called out for a lack of credibility and a history of “one-liner enviromentalism” lacking any real leadership has rub some enviro weenies the wrong way.