Weighing Measure B

Re “The Measure B mess,” editorial, Jan. 29

We are in the midst of the greatest environmental crisis of our time: climate change. The solutions involve nothing less than a shift from petroleum-based energy to renewables. President Obama has made renewable energy and green infrastructure one of the cornerstones of his administration.

In response to this crisis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is trying to wean L.A. from reliance on coal and move boldly toward reliance on renewables to power the city. Measure B will produce 400 megawatts of power without construction of enormous power infrastructure.

Measure B will create green jobs and improve the market for solar power at a time when it is needed most. Bold leadership in a time of crisis should be rewarded -- not criticized without offering alternative solutions.

The mayor’s solar plan is just the sort of aggressive action that is needed to help tackle the climate crisis.

Mark Gold

Santa Monica

The writer is president of Heal the Bay.

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The Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. board voted to oppose Measure B last week because of the unknown factors regarding cost, implementation and financial feasibility.

The board also felt that council members rushed the process to get the initiative on the March ballot. We didn’t understand why council members were in such a hurry to pass a charter reform that is unnecessary to accomplish the measure’s goal of creating 400 megawatts of publicly managed solar energy in Los Angeles.

When voters are asked to approve a measure, they are entitled to be completely informed.

Greg Lippe

Sherman Oaks

The writer is chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.