My father, David Lavine, passed away a few weeks ago from a rare blood cancer. Besides being a warm and loving father, he was also a feisty, progressive, pro-consumer legislator who crafted energy policy that was decades ahead of its time. The Hartford Courant published an article today under their "Extraordinary Life" series about my Dad's political legacy, and I wanted to share it with the DKos community.
David Lavine combined a love of public policy with persuasion, personality and passion. A state representative for 18 years, he was the quintessential legislator — long on facts, yet idealistic; partisan, yet able to compromise. Above all, he was a conservationist and environmentalist and a key player in helping Connecticut develop the most pro-consumer energy and conservation laws in the country.
The Hartford Courant article about my Dad really captures him well. My Dad always believed in doing what he thought was the right thing, regardless of the pressure or cajoling from established interests. He would always carefully listen to multiple viewpoints, but almost never budged from what his position, which was always in the interests of consumers and the environment.
Under his leadership, Connecticut was considered to have the most progressive utility and energy laws in the country, said Joel Gordes, a former aide who is now an energy consultant....Among the pro-consumer measures Lavine got passed was a law capping the cost of Millstone III, the nuclear power plant, which cost nine times more than projected; a law barring utility shut-offs for low-income customers; a loan program designed to spur energy conservation; a program of loans to industry for renewable energy; and sales tax exemptions for solar equipment.
For one of his campaigns, instead of handing out potholders or pencils, my Dad bought thousands of saplings, and offered to plant them in his constituents yards. I remember driving around with him while he campaigned, dozens of saplings and a shovel in the trunk. Still today, people point out "David's Tree" to us, now tall pines 30 years later.
Dad was an exceptional chess player - I almost never saw him beaten - because he could look ahead several moves. He brought this ability to politics, and combined with his passion and principals, was a brilliant and effective legislative combination.
One of the things I really appreciate about him was his utter incorruptibility. We were comfortable but far from wealthy growing up, but we made do. Policy was more important to my Dad than lifestyle. He did what he thought was right, regardless of consequence. One of his former aides, who now runs a large law firm in Connecticut, told my mother than he nearly lost an election because he kept a promise he had made to a friend. Loyalty and doing the right thing were of tantamount importance to Dad.
While he understood compromise, he didn't support half-measures, or watering down policy just for the sake of compromise. He stuck to what he thought the right policy was, often infuriating energy companies and lobbyists, but always winding up being best for the general good of everyone. Compromise generally came at the end of detailed, long and fact-based negotiations. But at the end, he was also a charming man, who could sit down and break bread with his opponents.
"He loved the fight, but when the fight was over, he wanted to go out to dinner with the people he was against — and he wanted to choose the restaurant," said Jeff Greenfield, an aide to House Democrats who began his government career working for Lavine.
Dad understood that you could disagree with someone on policy, but that didn't always mean they were bad people (although he was far from naive on this point). We are all human, sharing the same planet - seeking first to understand, but sticking to your principals and refusing to compromise on what is right - that is what my Dad was all about.
I wish we had more politicians who worked that way today. If Democrats took a stand on principaled progressive policies - like my Dad did - they would be a lot better off.
On a personal note, being a good father was important to him. When I was around 6 years old, he took me along on a political photo shoot, and the photographer snapped this photo of us:
The last few years were tough on my Dad, but he fought his disease with courage and without complaint. Throughout the treatment, he made friends with the nurses and doctors, technicians and staff, and kept his spirit strong. After he passed, dozens of people have contacted us telling us about the positive impact Dad had on their lives, and sharing memories. While losing him has been tough, we are comforted by the exceptional life he led, and the huge amount of good he did for the environment and his community.
Article is here. Thanks for reading.
AdamL