Based on my colleagues’ sentiments on Kathleen Falk – “the lesser of two evils” or “I’ll be writing in my dad” – her re-election as Dane County Executive Tuesday night appears to be roughly the equivalent of choosing a kick to the groin over a punch to the stomach. In other words, the feeling among many UW students and Dane County residents is that even though someone won the race, we are all actually losers. In the spirit of being a Positive Patty about the Dane County Executive race, I’ll argue there was at least one winner Tuesday night: Mother Nature. One thing that Kathleen Falk has done very well during her tenure is enacting forward-thinking environmental policies and promote environmental conservation. Madison is looked upon as a leader in not only Wisconsin but the entire Midwest when it comes to being an environmentally-progressive city. This reputation has been earned largely through the implementation of policies such as the 2005 ban on lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus – a ban which was passed this year at the state level. Falk’s environmental work continues today, with the Land and Water Legacy Fund receiving funding to purchase wetlands and other important natural areas, and the “Cow Power” plan being implemented to build manure digesters that turn cow manure into renewable methane gas while reducing phosphorus output to the Yahara Lakes. And heck, although the current commuter rail plan between Sun Prairie and Middleton is not the best idea ever, and least she is willing to acknowledge that as an environmental leader in the Midwest, the greater City of Madison can do a whole lot better in terms of public transit. The progress that Madison is currently seeing on the environmental front would have definitely been at risk had Nancy Mistele had pulled off an electoral upset Tuesday night. I get the feeling that the significant commitment to water quality and flood prevention initiatives that Falk made in her 2009 County Executive budget would likely not fit under Mistele’s committed plan to “applaud municipalities that protect land within their jurisdiction.” Also of concern was Mistele’s transportation plan that roughly read “Build more roads. Build more roads. Yadda yadda yadda. Add more buses to the roads that I just said are congested.” Madison, and much of the rest of the country for that matter, is looking forward to a future where cars will be less prevalent, and mass transit will help reduce traffic congestion while reducing pollution. Again, the proposed commuter rail system may not be the best answer to Madison’s traffic woes, but building more roads is definitely the wrong one. At the risk of being pathetically poetic, I imagine that Mother Nature let the sun shine a little brighter on Madison on Wednesday morning after Kathleen Falk’s re-election as Dane County Executive. There is no doubt that she has a lot of work to do to get back in the good graces of many Dane County residents, but let us at least give credit where credit is due and acknowledge that when it comes to Dane County’s environment, the lesser of two evils is actually pretty solid.