Dear HCN,
Jon Margolis’ piece on
the taking project (HCN, 8/2/99) is factually incorrect and
mischaracterizes FREE’s Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis
seminars for federal judges.
Margolis accepts
verbatim the assertions put forth by Douglas Kendall of the
Community Rights Counsel. Margolis never contacted FREE regarding
his story. If he had, I would have told him that contrary to his
assertion, Professor Epstein has never lectured in our federal
judges program. Also, I would have been happy to provide him all
our past program agendas, readings, and copies of letters of
evaluation from judges.
The lecturers at our
program teach at some of the nation’s finest schools, (e.g.,
Berkeley, Chicago, and Harvard). We always have presentations by
representatives from such “right-wing” groups as the Environmental
Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, and (are you
ready?) the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now
Earthjustice).
Margolis demeans the federal
judiciary by implying they can be easily swayed. These are smart,
mature, sophisticated men and women at the top of their profession,
predisposed by training to be discerning, critical, and alert to
shoddy arguments. This program has proven extremely popular with
judges regardless of their political affiliation. At our most
recent seminar, 14 of the 17 judges were Clinton appointees. Here’s
what one had to say about the
experience:
“I want to
emphasize that the seminar was the best that I have ever attended
… I came away with a far greater understanding than I had … of
the difficult and subtle issues our global society faces in the
environmental arena … I was delighted, although not surprised …
to find the faculty consisted of persons with a wide range of views
on environmental issues and that the discussions were truly open.”
We’ve duplicated this program for law
professors. Our second seminar received 73 nominations for 17
openings. We have participants from six of the nation’s top 10 law
schools with environmental programs as rated by U.S. News &
World Report. Our goal is to reach all of the top schools by next
year.
In sum, our programs offer strongly
pro-environment arguments. If Margolis and HCN cannot be bothered
to fact-check their work, I invite readers to contact me
directly.
Pete
Geddes
Bozeman, Montana
The writer is program director of Foundation
for Research on Economics and the Environment.
Jon Margolis replies,
Mr.
Geddes asserts only that I did not call him, and that this means
that I “accept(ed) verbatim” Douglas Kendall’s assertions. Right
the first time, wrong the second. My facts were supported by many
documents, including accounts from the Washington Post and other
newspapers.
Mr. Geddes says Professor Epstein
never spoke at one of FREE-sponsored seminars for federal judges,
and I will take his word on that. That FREE also invites Clinton
appointees and environmentalists, and that they accept, only means
that FREE is cleverer than they are. As to demeaning the judiciary,
I demean no one. If the evidence reveals that public officials are
followers of foolishness, a reporter ought to point that out. This
is America, and federal judges sit, as do the rest of us, only on
their own behinds.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The real facts from FREE.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
