Showdown at sundown. But Michigan also serves as a warning for Bush. In recent months, Engler has come under significant grassroots pressure from voters upset about the state's emphasis on economic development at the expense of clean air and water. Public hearings on disputed air, water, and hazardous waste permits are attracting hundreds of citizens who call on state regulators to enforce state environmental laws. The Sierra Club's membership in Michigan has increased 80 percent in the last decade.
More attention is paid to environmental issues in the state media.
U.S. Rep. David Bonior, have identified strengthening the state's environmental programs as one of the top campaign issues. Engler spent a decade writing a new compact with citizens and his industrial allies that put jobs, profit, and growth ahead of all other social values. Now that compact shows signs of vulnerability. National environmental leaders and others intent on protecting public health and America's natural resources should learn from Michigan's experience, opposing bad ideas at every turn, exposing political favoritism that corrupts public decision-making, and rallying public support for environmentally sensible policies. All rights reserved.