My name is Sue Barham, Air Quality Program Chair for the League of Women Voters of Texas. I am speaking today for the Texas Air Crisis campaign, a coalition of forty-four organizations from all over the state concerned about public health and the environment. Texans built their courthouses in the center of the city so they could keep an eye on what their officials were doing.
Democracy depends on the informed and active participation of citizens.
People have not only a right but a responsibility to keep an eye on their government. In turn the government has to be responsive to the will of the people and serve the public interest. Better decisions result when citizens are involved. Today the Campaign is releasing a report, included in your packet, that shows statistically how citizens have been shut out of the process. We are also presenting three cases of citizens who have sought to protect their communities from pollution.