NEWS RELEASE--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2008
For more information: Christine Toole, 336-749-7194; Dan Besse, 336-775-7877
Sierra Club: Besse a "champion of environmental stewardship"
The N.C. Chapter of the Sierra Club has endorsed Democrat Dan Besse for Lieutenant Governor.
In announcing the endorsement, Chris Dowdle, chair of the N.C. Sierra Club political committee, said, "Dan Besse has distinguished himself as a champion of environmental stewardship."
The Sierra Club made its decision following a review of candidates records, their responses to a detailed issue questionnaire, and direct interviews. The Sierra Club has more than 20,000 members across North Carolina.
Dowdle added, "Dan Besse is a thoughtful, pragmatic and capable leader whose environmental leadership will translate well in the office of Lieutenant Governor."
"I am honored to receive the support of the Sierra Club," said Besse. "They speak for the millions of North Carolinians who understand that our health and our future depend on clean water, clean air, and our green and productive land."
Besse is currently an elected member of the Winston-Salem City Council. He chairs the Piedmont Triad Early Action Compact, which this year has been recognized for its role in helping the Piedmont Triad meet federal clean air standards for ground-level ozone (the major ingredient in urban smog).
As a member of the city council, Besse has worked for energy conservation, stronger stormwater management, public transit, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, clean air, and recycling.
Besse has made attention to North Carolina's growth challenges a central theme of his campaign. During this campaign, he has released proposals to address water resources and energy policies. Besse's experience includes service (by appointment of the governor) on the N.C. Environmental Management Commission, the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, and the N.C. Sedimentation Control Commission, all state policy-making boards dealing with water, air, and land quality issues. He also served on the N.C. Climate Action Plan Advisory Group.
As a state board member, Besse led successful efforts for stronger clean water and clean air protections. He also worked for protection of state beaches, wetlands, and fisheries.
An environmental attorney, Besse has also worked with citizen environmental groups since 1978.
Besse has also been endorsed by the Conservation PAC, and by the Progressive Democrats of North Carolina.
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NEWS RELEASE---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2007
Conservation PAC Endorses Besse for Lieutenant Governor
Besse receives the first environmental endorsement of the 2008 election cycle in NC
The Conservation PAC today issued its first endorsement of the 2008 election cycle, endorsing Winston-Salem City Council Member Dan Besse for Lieutenant Governor. The group said its endorsement is based on "Dan Besse's life-long commitment and leadership to conserve North Carolina's natural resources and environmental health."
The Conservation PAC cited Besse's long history of effective statewide leadership for the protection of North Carolina's environment and public health, including his work to protect coastal resources, promote clean water and air statewide, and address climate change.
"I'm deeply honored to receive Conservation PAC's first endorsement of 2008," responded Besse. "Our water, air, and land are under increasing stress from both new development and climate change. Smart planning and environmental conservation are absolutely necessary to protect our people's health and our economic future."
In releasing the endorsement, Brownie Newman, Political Director of the Conservation PAC, said "Dan Besse brings an unmatched depth of understanding and demonstrated commitment to protection of North Carolina's communities and environment."
Nina Szlosberg, Chair of the Conservation PAC, added "Dan Besse has provided great leadership on issues that mean so much to North Carolinians. He has been a champion for environmental protection and public health for many years. We need his kind of leadership in the state to remain competitive in the 21st century."
Earlier this week, Besse released his "Water Resources Plan for North Carolina in the 21st Century" in response to the state's growing crisis in drought management and competing water demands.
Besse earlier received the endorsement of the statewide Progressive Democrats of North Carolina.
The Conservation PAC is a key non-partisan political arm of North Carolina's conservation community. Its members are active environmental leaders from across the state. The Conservation PAC has endorsed legislative and statewide candidates in North Carolina since 2000, and provided over $100,000 in assistance to endorsed candidates during the past two years alone.
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NEWS RELEASE---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2008
NORTH CAROLINA NEEDS COMPREHENSIVE, LONG-TERM STATE WATER RESOURCES PLAN
"Water resources have become our most urgent state planning need in North Carolina," declared Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
"The problem goes well beyond the looming crisis of the next ten months, when we will see mandatory restrictions on water use in cities and towns around our state," he said. "Our population is booming, and our economy must keep up. At the same time, ongoing climate change is projected to result in more frequent and severe droughts. The days of assuming unlimited cheap water in our state are over."
"We must face the need to manage this critical resource in our state for the long haul. Our people's health, our natural environment, and our economic future all depend on improved water management," he concluded.
Besse released today an eight-point outline of his "Water Resources Plan for North Carolina in the 21st Century" (attached). The eight points address the following:
1) Comprehensive inventory of resources and demands.
2) Creation of a planning baseline using existing demand trends.
3) Strengthening water interbasin transfer rules.
4) Establishing local, regional, and statewide water use efficiency planning.
5) Development of systems for reuse of graywater.
6) Plans to turn stormwater from a problem into a resource.
7) Creation of comprehensive water emergency planning.
8) Requirement that all state permit decisions account for water resources impacts.
Besse has the depth of background to address this issue on a statewide policy basis. He is a former chair of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, former water discharge permit (NPDES) committee chair of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission, and is now in his second four-year term as a member of the Winston-Salem City Council. Winston-Salem operates one of the best-prepared water/sewer utilities in North Carolina.
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Water Resources Plan for North Carolina in the 21st Century
(1) Undertake a comprehensive statewide inventory of water resources and demand, including the following factors:
What are the capacities of our existing resources (reservoirs, in-stream taps, treatment facilities)?
What are the reliable flow volumes of rivers and streams that can be tapped?
What is the sustainable output of available groundwater resources?
What are the existing transfers between basins and among jurisdictions?
What is the existing municipal/industrial demand?
What is the existing agricultural and silvicultural demand?
What are the sustained in-stream flow requirements to meet water quality maintenance, recreation, and wildlife/aquatic habitat needs?
Map all this data.
(2) Establish a planning baseline by projecting current-trend demand growth and patterns based on population and economic trends. We can work from this data to analyze what we must do and how quickly we must take the necessary steps in order to address existing problems and manage developing conflicts.
(3) Establish stronger authorizing laws for the Environmental Management Commission's interbasin transfer rules, taking into account projected future needs, as well as current minimum flow demands, in the review of transfer authorization requests.
(4) Establish statewide guidelines and requirements for local water use efficiency planning. Provide state assistance (technical and financial) to local governments and regional councils of government in meeting these requirements. Strongly encourage and assist system leak detection, repair, maintenance, and renovation. (This approach will emphasize local/regional planning within state guidelines.)
(5) Establish incentives for the development and implementation of systems for graywater reuse (irrigation, industrial uses).
(6) Turn stormwater from a pollution problem into a resource through broad implementation of measures such as rain barrels, rain gardens, grassy swale conveyances in place of curb-and-gutter systems, and use of wet detention ponds for irrigation purposes.
(7) Undertake comprehensive water resource emergency planning on a local, regional, and statewide basis. Incorporate both intermediate and severe emergency stage plans. Empower local governments to work on a regional basis through councils of governments, and provide incentives for this cooperation.
(8) Require all state permit decisions (e.g., power plants, wastewater discharges) to take into account impacts on water demand and supply.
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GOP candidate out of step on climate change
JANUARY 14, 2008: In a different era, Robert Pittenger might have been president of the Flat Earth Society. Today, he's announcing his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.
State Senator Robert Pittenger (R-Mecklenburg) is one of North Carolina's most persistent deniers of the science of climate change, and a harsh critic of efforts to address global warming. His declarations on the topic are consistently at odds with the consensus analysis of the international scientific community.
"If Mr. Pittenger had been in politics a century ago, he would have declared that electricity will never work, and called it a conspiracy to destroy the candle industry," said Dan Besse, Winston-Salem City Council Member and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Pittenger is a strident opponent of policies requiring increased use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
"Mr. Pittenger takes his cues from pseudo-scientific 'assessments' by groups funded by the oil industry," said Besse. "He has bought into the most dramatic example in public life today of the strange intersection between corporate greed and wild conspiracy theories."
"If the Republican Party nominates Mr. Pittenger, I will look forward to debating him on these issues," concluded Besse. "It will provide an outstanding opportunity to represent the consensus of the scientific community and responsible Americans in pressing for actions that will help head off environmental disaster in North Carolina."
Pittenger himself has received generous campaign donations from the electric utilities and other industry groups opposed to strong environmental policies. During his three campaigns for State Senate ('02, '04, '06), Pittenger has received at least $13,500 from electric utility PACs, over $5,000 from automotive interests, and over $45,000 from colleagues in the real-estate industry. (See http://www.followthemoney.org/ or confirm their research through campaign finance reports available at http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/CF/cf_reports.html. )
During meetings of the Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change, on which he serves, Pittenger has vocally clashed with recognized scientific experts making background presentations for the commission.
Pittenger told one expert witness before the commission, Dr. Nicholas Schlesinger of Duke University, that there was no scientific consensus on the connection between human activities and global warming. Schlesinger said that there was an overwhelming scientific consensus recognizing that connection—in fact "...as much consensus as cigarettes causing lung cancer, and maybe more."
Schlesinger is an expert in earth and climate studies and former Dean of the Nicholas School for environmental sciences at Duke University. (For details of his background and scientific credentials, see http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/schlesinger.html . )
Pittenger is a real estate investor with no training in the physical sciences.
Dan Besse is currently a member of the N.C. Climate Action Plan Advisory Group, formed by the N.C. Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources to help develop recommendations for addressing climate change. He has 20 years of other public service on state-level policy-making boards dealing with the environment (including 12 years by appointment of Gov. Jim Hunt on the N.C. Environmental Management Commission). For full details on Besse's record of leadership on environmental issues, see http://www.danbesse2008.com/AboutDan/LeadershipExperience/tabid/162/Default.aspx .
For further details on the Pittenger connection to groups behind the opposition to action on global climate change, see the 11/13/07 article at http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/labels/energy policy.asp .
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Besse endorses call by coastal scientists to oppose new ocean seawalls
JANUARY 3, 2008: Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today endorsed a call issued this week by 43 coastal scientists to reject new exceptions to North Carolina's ban on coastal seawalls and groins.
"We must protect our beaches and coastal islands by maintaining our ban on new seawalls and 'groins'," said Besse, a former chair of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission and current Winston-Salem City Council Member.
The statements by Besse and the coastal scientists refer to legislation now pending in the N.C. General Assembly. The legislation, SB 599, "Inlet Stabilization Pilot Program," would authorize new "terminal groins" for "ocean inlet stabilization."
Among Besse's opponents for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor is State Sen. Walter Dalton, who last May voted for the legislation which would permit new "terminal groins" on the coast.
Besse reviewed the proposed legislation last summer at the request of coastal advocates, and submitted a scathing analysis. Besse told the N.C. Coastal Federation, "This is a very bad proposal for North Carolina coastal policy. It is directly counter to all our state's efforts to maintain our beaches and barrier islands by barring additional hard structures (seawalls, groins, riprap, etc.) on the oceanfront.
"The reference to 'inlet stabilization' is a veneer, and not even a new one. When I chaired the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (1985-1990), similar requests were made and denied time and again. The intent is plainly nothing more than the protection of private oceanfront structures [at the expense both of the public beaches and neighboring property owners]."
"Our barrier islands are full of shifting inlets near ill-sited private beach mansions," said Besse. "This misnamed 'pilot program' would 'study' the well-documented impacts of a device which we knew and rejected for such purposes in our state years ago."
Besse concluded, "Approval of this bill would create a gaping loophole in our state's sound oceanfront protection policy, big enough to drive a supertanker through."
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Besse calls for new teen pregnancy prevention rules
JANUARY 2, 2008: Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today called for adoption of new rules to ensure that state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs include comprehensive, medically accurate information.
"For state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs to work, they must be complete and accurate," said Besse. "We can't allow our tax money to finance misleading or inaccurate programs that put our young people's health at risk."
The N.C. Commission for Public Health is considering changes to the rules governing state funding grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs. The proposed new rule language will require that community programs, to be considered for state funding grants, must provide comprehensive education with "medically accurate information about contraceptive methods including abstinence".
Besse says that this "abstinence-plus" approach is needed to reduce teen pregnancies and protect our young people's health. "I know from my work for health care programs around our state that these comprehensive programs are more effective in reducing teen pregnancies," he said. "Studies show that programs work best when they encourage abstinence, and also provide accurate information about contraceptive methods."
"Parents and health care professionals alike tell me that they want their children to have access to complete, accurate information," he said. "They find programs which try to scare young people with misinformation to be outrageous."
"We must not allow the health of our young people to be held hostage to a political agenda," declared Besse. "As Lieutenant Governor, I will use my influence in both the legislative and executive branches to support making comprehensive, medically-accurate health education available to our young people."
"I spoke out last year in favor of legislation to encourage comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality and health education in our public schools," recalled Besse. "The case for requiring such solid education as a part of all state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs is even stronger."
"I'm encouraging parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and others who work with our young people, to tell the Commission that you support comprehensive, medically accurate health education," concluded Besse. "Let's ensure that a minority of political ideologues don't keep us from doing the right thing for our youth."
The Commission's deadline for public comments on the proposed rule change is January 14. Comments can be submitted to the Commission via email to Chris.Hoke@ncmail.net.
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NC Progressive Democrats Endorse Besse!
The Progressive Democrats of North Carolina (PDNC) voted overwhelmingly at their annual meeting December 8 to endorse Dan Besse for Lieutenant Governor.
After reviewing candidates' responses to a 20-part written questionnaire and hearing from the candidates in a head-to-head forum, the PDNC membership selected Besse by 72%, with 28% voting for other candidates.
PDNC was organized in 2004 to work for economic, environmental, and social justice in North Carolina through the democratic process. It has multiple county chapters and members around the state. Three of the four announced Democratic candidates for Lieutnenant Governor participated in the PDNC's candidate forum on December 8 and sought the group's endorsement.
This endorsement takes on special significance as the first organizational endorsement in this contest following a direct comparison of the candidates, their positions, and their records.
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