Letter to the Editor: Flagstaff’s Region Plan viewed as needing hefty revisions

Regional Plan election ballots are coming in the mail. A “yes” vote to adopt this plan would be a grave mistake for the people of Flagstaff. This Regional Plan elevates the city’s $600 million Carbon Neutrality Plan from an aspirational goal to city policy. If the Regional Plan is approved, all housing, transportation and infrastructure projects in Flagstaff must support the Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP). And, according to the Regional Plan, the city will achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. This policy is particularly devastating because federal funding for carbon-neutrality projects has effectively disappeared. That places virtually the entire financial burden on us, the local taxpayers.

And why are we being asked to vote for this incredible taxation commitment? The purpose of the CNP is to stop global warming by reducing CO2 emissions. This worldwide effort has already spent trillions over the past 30 years, while Flagstaff has spent millions on wind, solar and electrification. Despite this massive global effort, CO2 concentrations continue to increase unabated. Carbon neutrality is NOT working.