Enlightening Enlibra
Not having spent too much time around western Governors, I hadn't heard of the word "enlibra" before. Turns out I'm 7 years behind the curve (ain't that the truth). According to this citation in Wordspy, enlibra has been kicking around for a while.
Enlibra. That word isn't in the dictionary, at least not yet. After all, it was just introduced to the world on Monday.
Conservative Republican Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt and liberal Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber coined it together hoping it will eventually revolutionize environmental debates.
"Enlibra is a word we made up," Leavitt explained to a gathering of reporters at the National Press Club — after a full day of talking to reporters for magazines and national newspapers in New York City and Washington about it.
"It is from two Latin phrases: 'en,' to direct toward; and 'libra,' to find balance. Our purpose then in putting forward enlibra is to find a symbol for the middle" and balance in environmental debates, Leavitt said.
—Lee Davidson, "Coined word aims to bring balance to wilds issue," Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), July 14, 1998
Don't you love being dragged along on my education process?
But as in most words coined by politicians, it has become political.
The most important question to be considered in Senate hearings, however, is the intent and potential impact of what Leavitt calls his "enlibra" principles, which call on the federal government to give more leeway to states and industries on environmental issues.
Are those principles intended to allow locally designed solutions, or to weaken federal laws that defend against pollution that knows no state boundaries? Is "enlibra" just a fancy name for coming down on the side of industry, or is it truly a collaboration that lends equal weight to the views of environmentalists and the public —- the folks who can't buy their way into Beltway circles?
—"Judge EPA nominee on his record," The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, August 21, 2003
I like the latter definition. We certainly need more of that.
Enlibra. That word isn't in the dictionary, at least not yet. After all, it was just introduced to the world on Monday.
Conservative Republican Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt and liberal Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber coined it together hoping it will eventually revolutionize environmental debates.
"Enlibra is a word we made up," Leavitt explained to a gathering of reporters at the National Press Club — after a full day of talking to reporters for magazines and national newspapers in New York City and Washington about it.
"It is from two Latin phrases: 'en,' to direct toward; and 'libra,' to find balance. Our purpose then in putting forward enlibra is to find a symbol for the middle" and balance in environmental debates, Leavitt said.
—Lee Davidson, "Coined word aims to bring balance to wilds issue," Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), July 14, 1998
Don't you love being dragged along on my education process?
But as in most words coined by politicians, it has become political.
The most important question to be considered in Senate hearings, however, is the intent and potential impact of what Leavitt calls his "enlibra" principles, which call on the federal government to give more leeway to states and industries on environmental issues.
Are those principles intended to allow locally designed solutions, or to weaken federal laws that defend against pollution that knows no state boundaries? Is "enlibra" just a fancy name for coming down on the side of industry, or is it truly a collaboration that lends equal weight to the views of environmentalists and the public —- the folks who can't buy their way into Beltway circles?
—"Judge EPA nominee on his record," The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, August 21, 2003
I like the latter definition. We certainly need more of that.
posted by Pat Burns | 6:59 AM
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