Governor Baker Must Fire David Ismay Immediately ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL, FEB. 2021

EDITORIAL99

David Ismay, Governor Baker’s Undersecretary for Climate Change, told a group of Vermont climate extremists that in order for Massachusetts residents to lower carbon emissions the state needs to “break their will” and “turn the screws on” ordinary people. No public servant should be approaching public policy with this kind of attitude.

The video of Ismay making these comments were posted on line by conservative think-tank Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance and has been viewed more than 15,000 times.Here is Ismay’s exact quote; “So let me say that again, 60% of our emissions that need to be reduced come from you, the person across the street, the senior on fixed income, right… there is no bad guy left, at least in Massachusetts to point the finger at, to turn the screws on, and you know, to break their will, so they stop emitting. That’s you. We have to break your will. Right, I can’t even say that publicly…”

Yet, he did.

And somehow, Ismay still has his job.

We cringe when we hear people calling for the resignation or firing of public officials for saying offensive things or posting politically incorrect views on line.

As free speech activists, we at The Valley Patriot vehemently defend anyone against ‘cancel-culture’ and will support anyone’s right to express their views, even when we disagree with the views being expressed.

But, that is not the case here.

As Governor Baker’s Undersecretary for Climate Change, David Ismay has an obligation to protect the citizens of Massachusetts, not seek to destroy their quality of life by “breaking their will” or “turning the screws” on Massachusetts residents.

This attitude is all too common among climate and social activists. Rather than seeking common sense measures to clean pollution in our rivers and streams, instead of trying to get the public on board with policies that will positively affect the environment, they eagerly seek to use force to punish the public for not seeing things the way they do.

They have no interest in intellectual debate. They have no interest in educating and convincing the public to go along with their vision on climate and social change.

People like this have no business working in our government.

Governor Charlie Baker needs to make that point to the public by firing Ismay immediately and making it clear to everyone in his administration that they are here to HELP the public not “break their will”. ◊