The New Republic: on Environment

Bill Flores: Attack EPA ozone standards and power plant caps

Flores attacked the EPA, particularly its proposed ozone standards and carbon pollution cap on power plants. But Flores never mentioned the economic benefits of improving public health by cutting coal pollution and shifting to clean energy. Those tend to outnumber the cost: The EPA's climate rules on power plants could save $55 billion per year by 2030, versus $9 billion in costs.

Flores's other points are hardly worth arguing: If climate change is junk science, then 97% of scientists are part of the ploy. Yet these facts fail the "smell test," Flores claims. He might try living next to an unregulated coal plant to see what that smells like.

Rahm Emanuel: Let every child have 10-minute walk to park or playground

EMANUEL: One you can actually run, and the other you don't have a chance.

Q: Is it easier to set goals as mayor than in Washington?

EMANUEL: Let me give an example. We are redoing every playground in the city of Chicago. It is all paid for. All new equipment. Done. [Claps hands.] I believe in parks as a dramatic improvement in the quality of life in the city. We are adding parks everywhere. We are trying to get the Interior Department to designate a local park to be a national designation, and it is like a 3-year process. They have interest in doing it, but my God. In Chicago, I wanted to make sure every child in four years time was a ten- minute walk from a new park or playground. It's done. We are going to get there one year ahead of time.

Q: You don't have a Congress that prohibits you from passing the smallest thing.

EMANUEL: We have 50 aldermen but we do have a...can-do spirit.

Rahm Emanuel: Gentrification can be done right, with active zooming laws

EMANUEL: There is an area called Fulton Market. You would think it was a typical area that is on fire. Google is moving in. But there are restaurants in that neighborhood. It has exploded. It is one of the hottest areas in the country from a real estate perspective. We designed it in a way to protect the manufacturing, too. I know there are a lot of bad connotations. High rents and people being forced out who have been there for years. And there is a reason it has that connotation. But if we are smarter about it, we can do things that allow improvements.

Q: What is the role for government in dealing with these issues? How active should the city be?

EMANUEL: Very active. Zoning laws, land use, all kinds of things. It can't be the Wild West.

Q: Are you putting any pressure on the president to move his library here?

EMANUEL: Chicago is where he started his career in public life, and I think it is only fitting that it should be here