PD Editorial: The power of civic engagement

“Somebody ought to do something about that,” an upset person mutters.

“Yeah, they ought to pass a law,” an annoyed friend agrees.

The problem is that “somebody” too often means “nobody” because the people who invoke that unidentified person of action don’t want to do it themselves. They don’t like the status quo, but they pass the buck.

Without “somebody” the odds of a law passing are low. Many worthy causes demand the attention of lawmakers, governors and city council members. If no one pushes on a particular issue, it won’t go far.

That’s why the world needs people like Sebastopol’s Megan Kaun. She became somebody and darn near got the Legislature to pass a law. She should keep at it next year.

Kaun was concerned about Caltrans’ use of the herbicide Roundup along state roads to clear invasive weeds and other plants. Some studies have indicated that Roundup is hazardous to human health, especially immediately after it has been sprayed. Other studies dispute those findings, but there’s reason enough for caution. Anything that is so toxic it kills plants in a day or two can’t be entirely good for other living organisms.

Kaun isn’t just some random environmentalist. She has a master’s degree in environmental engineering and hydrology, and she worked for the Army Corps of Engineers. She knows a thing or two about environmental impacts.

So she approached her representatives. Could Caltrans dial back its use of herbicides? In counties like Sonoma, Marin and Napa that have adopted specific plans to limit herbicides, could the state transportation agency follow local rules? When Caltrans must spray herbicides, could it provide a heads up so people who don’t want to be exposed? Bicyclists, for example, might not want to pedal hard through an area where Roundup might be hanging in the air. And could Caltrans publish an annual accounting of how much herbicide it sprayed where? There’s nothing wrong with more transparency.

Those are reasonable requests. In fact, they are pretty much the policy that Caltrans follows in Humboldt and Mendocino counties already, just not the rest of the state. Kaun wasn’t an absolutist. All of her ideas left exceptions for where herbicides were the only viable option.

Somebody was doing something, and Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, agreed that it was time to pass a law. He introduced a bill to enact Kaun’s ideas. It passed the Assembly earlier this year and received support from the Senate Environmental Quality and Transportation committees.

Then some senators quietly killed it last week without explanation.

That’s a loss, but it shouldn’t dissuade others from following Kaun’s example. Democracy works best when citizens actively engage in the processes of governance. Communities elect representatives to lead, but those elected officials need input and guidance from their constituencies. Kaun demonstrated that a mother from the North Bay could come within spitting distance of changing state law. Next year she might succeed.

When there’s something wrong in the state, a county, a city or a town, somebody ought to do something about it, and that somebody could be you.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.