EDITORIAL: LEAF BLOWERS BANNED - Well, Not for 8 Years

EDITORIAL: LEAF BLOWERS BANNED - Well, Not for 8 Years

It sounded like the Providence City Council was going to take a big, bold step to protect workers and the environment, but don’t put your Paris Climate Change Accord away too quickly.

 

The new ordinance, finally passed by the Providence City Council to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, is a lot of gas-powered hot air for the foreseeable future.

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The Providence City Council promised 'bold action' and passed an ordinance that does not take full effect until 2033 — eight years away. READ ABOUT THE ORDINANCE HERE

 

The City Councilor who pushed the functionally do-nothing ordinance is rumored to be gearing up to run for Lt. Governor. It seems so appropriate.

 

"Our neighborhoods deserve a future without toxic gases and excessive noise. This policy is a win for the health and well-being of our environment and our neighbors, while mitigating impacts on small businesses,” said Councilor Sue AnderBois, the ordinance’s lead sponsor and chair of the Special Committee on the Environment and Resiliency.

 

For the affluent East Siders that AnderBois represents, their landscapers won’t miss a beat, and those homeowners will not be charged an “Electric Blower Surcharge.”

 

This legislation is the perfect compromise — it does nothing for years. It is the poster legislation for why Rhode Islanders are skeptical about government.

 

Rest assured, gas leaf blower defenders really have not given up any civil rights for nearly a decade.

 

The balance between landscaping companies and affluent East Side homeowners will not be disturbed, and the noise and the gas will continue for years.

 

If you hate gas-powered leaf blowers due to the noise, environmental impact, and adverse impacts on workers, not much is happening for a long time.

 

And, if you think that this is a governmental overreach, no need to form that National Association for the Rights of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers, because this ordinance is all smoke and noise. 

 

And AnderBois can try and ride her 'bold legislative action' to the State House on a platform of 'do nothing for eight years' legislation.

 

Seems like a perfect Rhode Island Lt. Governor.