TO THE EDITOR: Here’s a quiz – did the following statement come from a Republican or a Democrat: “Madison needs a significant energy paradigm shift. Our town needs to adopt energy policies that will foster energy conservation, not stifle it.”

The answer: the 2019 GOP candidates Rob Catalanello, Pat Rowe and Kathy Dailey.

Fast forward to 2022 when the GOP is upset that Mayor Bob Conley has formed a Climate Action Ad Hoc Committee to help the borough conserve energy and reduce costs.

The Ad Hoc Committee, which Councilwoman Rachel Erhlich leads, works within existing budget constraints. It gathers data and partners with department heads and borough employees to see where energy-smart decisions can yield long-term cost savings.

This is important work. If the borough doesn’t understand its carbon footprint, leaders won’t know how much money is being wasted due to leaky windows at the Department of Public Works or an aging boiler at town hall.

I would like to give a huge shoutout to the volunteers from the Environmental Commission and the Sustainable Madison Advisory Committee who have spent countless hours rolling up their sleeves and compiling the data and research necessary for decision making.

This isn’t do-gooder work. It’s financially savvy work guided by the precept that the cost of action is much lower than the cost of inaction.

It is work that should cut across party lines, especially in a small town like ours.

CLAIRE WHITCOMB