Green Programs that Partner with Corporate America Work

Dear Editor:

Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Stacy Shelton may have been the herald of a new world order for sustainable "green" energy conservation consumer strategies ("Tax holiday on low-flow toilets, energy-efficient products," October 2). In what is essentially a national model for state and local green programs, state Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, successfully sponsored legislation enacting state and local sales tax exemptions good for water-efficient products priced at $1,500 or less.

Metro Atlanta residents also qualify for a product purchase rebate from the manufacturer of Water-Sense label ultra-low flow toilets, or showerheads and bathroom faucets. The nexus of industry working with government without raising taxes or creating a fee-funded bureaucracy bodes well for a sustainable green future. Senator Newnan gets it right: governments can encourage energy and water conservation without "more rules and regs."

Ralph W. Conner (rconner@heartland.org) is local legislation manager at The Heartland Institute.