City Scuffle
Syracuse City Eagle
Walt Sheppard
April 19th, 2007
The Has Been and the Wannabe sat in the slush in front of the no longer awful Al's on folding chairs, bombarded by globs of snow slipping off the roof. They were imagining table number one, which would have been legal outside that April 15 behind the plastic chain railing. It was spring and they were determined to be undeterred by the effects of the unseasonal Nor'easter on downtown.
"Looks like [Mayor Matt] Driscoll's got the Democrats' County Executive nod sown up," the Has Been said, trying not to notice that the slush level had risen above his high-top Converse.
"I heard Tom Buckel wants it," the Wannabe shot back. "He says he's running for the County Legislature to represent the Northside, Lyncourt, and part of Salina, but he's calling for 100-percent renewable energy in all government buildings, converting county and local government vehicles to alternative fuel or electric power, and reducing greenhouse gas in every municipal facility. I think it's a trial balloon to see if there's support for him reaching higher."
"You got him confused with Howie Hawkins," the Has Been snorted.
"Not at all," said the Wannabe. "It's Tom Buckel, and he's calling for setting high standards for local action on climate change and renewable energy, modeled after the 2005 U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and the standards for municipal action announced in the city of Austin, Texas.
The Has Been seemed confused. "What's Howie gonna run on?"
"Public power and cable television. Anyway, Buckel wants to make all new single family homes capable of consuming zero net energy by producing enough renewable power to offset what they pull from the electric grid, and implementation of strict commercial building standards based on the US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating systems in order to increase energy efficiency."
"Does Howie know about this," the Has Been asked, trying to sound casual. He knew this was big, and he knew he didn't understand a word of it.
"Howie's running for councilor-at-large," the Wannabe explained patiently. "Maybe he'll support Buckel's call for a city-county feasibility study of the potential costs and benefits of using willow to ethanol technology to produce fuel for government operations."
"What?" The Has Been was clearly startled. "They want to build a sewerage treatment facility on Willow Street? What happened to the one on Armory Square. Talk about setbacks to economic development in this town. The Dinosaur Bar-B-Que just got use of that parking lot and now they're gonna lose it. But those Onondaga Creek protesters don't make a fuss about Willow Street like the did about Midland Avenue, cept the ones who go to the Dinosaur."
"Not Willow Street," the Wannabe replied. "Willow like in what they did in New Paltz, where they have a Green mayor."
"Driscoll won an award for being green," the Has Been noted.
"It's not the same thing. But it sounds like Buckel is trying to run green."
"Wouldn't make much sense," the Has Been said. "Green registration is not a factor on the Northside, Lyncourt, and part of Salina. And the local Greens don't cross-endorse."
"Whatever," the Wannabe said. "Anyway, Buckel says Onondaga County was one of the strongest economic regions in the nation for most of our history, but now it's one of the weakest. He says it needs renewable energy to get strong again. He has an outline for an Onondaga County Renewable Energy and Climate Protection Plan. And, whether it was County Legislator or County Executive, he's going to have to stay in office for a long time to see his proposal to completion."
"By 2015 he wants all municipal buildings powered 100 percent by renewable energy: all new single-family homes zero net energy capable, and increased energy efficiency by 75 percent in all other new construction. By 2020 he wants all municipal facilities totally carbon-neutral, vehicles using electric power and non petroleum fuels, and meeting 30 percent of all energy needs through renewable sources including wind and solar power."
The Has Been's mind began to wander. In 1984, he recalled, a politically unknown 27-year-old Buckel had declared his candidacy for the then 28th Congressional District from Central New York. He had defeated county Legislator Doris Chertow in a Democratic primary before taking on incumbent Republican George Wortley. That June he took a leave of absence from his law firm to campaign 11 hours a day in a losing effort. Veteran observers noted his informed and ambitious vision. At the time, they called him an idealist.