A few weeks ago, three ex-governors of New Jersey (Governor Byrne, Whitman, and Kean) visited my school. Among the many topics they discussed, I thought it would be especially relevant to write about Governor Whitman's response to my question: "What is your opinion of the Clean Energy Act which invests billions of dollars into clean energy facilities?" Governor Whitman, who once served as an Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the following:
"My problem only with government investing in clean energy programs is we ought to let the private sectors figure out which ones work. To me, governments responsibility is setting out what we want to achieve. We don't have a national energy plan in this country but we desperately need one."
Governor Whitman seems to advocate a system under which the government sets a goal forth and the private sector then carries it out. Governor Whitman has far more expertise than me on this subject, but I do believe she is absolutely correct in stating that the government needs to take responsibility for regulations and enforcement.
There wasn't too much else directly relevant to economics, however listening to the governors speak and meeting them was still a very exciting experience. All three governors encouraged the future generation to get involved in our community and become well-informed individuals.
Governor Byrne, Whitman, and Kean- thank you for visiting our school and sharing your perspectives!
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