I'm going to run for office within the next two years.

A politician (Nancy Barto) came to my front door last week asking for my signature on a petition and for my vote for the state legislature. My vote is important to me, so I took it as an opportunity to ask some questions about her positions on global warming/climate issues, education, economic incentives, etc.

She doesn't believe that humans are contributing to climate change. I was *astonished* and at the same time terrified. I also asked about education and she said that she endorsed vouchers, and wanted to do nothing for the public education system as it is today. I was aghast. Does she realize that Arizona ranks near the bottom of all 50 states in education? You aren't going to fix that by privatizing all primary and secondary education. I told her that our economy could be invigorated by a commitment to alternative fuel instead of diverting all of our resources to supporting the oil economy. She thought only the private sector should be focused on this. I pointed out that we don't pay the true price for oil because we also pay (through separate budgets) for the defense of our oil supplies, as well as through farming subsidies which buy fertilizer that also consumes large amounts of petroleum. She didn't seem to care. I think we should subsidize alternative fuel programs so that we are energy independent and are not destroying our planet, not to mention not creating the "brown cloud of muck" over downtown Phoenix.

So I'm going to run for office. I have to figure out exactly how to do this, but I will do it. Somebody sensible needs to be representing the intelligent citizens out there who actually care about the planet and America's role in the world.