Government: What the Voters Want

Last week's off-year election proved once again that the quality of the U.S. environment is becoming an increasingly important concern of the nation's electorate. Wherever the environment issue cropped up, the result was the same. Voters within the Mojave Water District of California's San Bernardino County refused a proposed coal-burning power plant despite the increased taxes it would have contributed to the district. Reason: the plant might pollute the clear desert air. At Mercer Island in Lake Washington, a suburb of Seattle, residents faced another difficult choice. Did they want to...