Local man's bright idea wins $100,000 in contest

Wednesday, February 1, 2006

By KRISTIN DIZON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Peter Skidmore on Thursday wakes up $100,000 richer than the day before.

Skidmore, who lives in Seattle, is the grand prize winner in the first-ever "Best Idea Since Sliced Bread" contest, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union.


	Skidmore

After his environmental idea was chosen by a panel of judges as one of 21 finalists -- whittled down from 22,000 submissions -- the voting public picked it as the best. He is accepting the award at a banquet today in Washington, D.C.

"I did a little dance," said Skidmore, by phone from the Portland Airport on Tuesday. "I thought my idea was good, but I had no idea that it would be selected for the grand prize."

Skidmore, 41, is a freshwater scientist for The Nature Conservancy who works on river conservation and restoration.

Here is an excerpt of his submission: "Impose a 'resource tax' on pollution, development, and fossil fuel to pay for development of renewable energy and environmental restoration."

Skidmore says localized energy will provide clean, exportable technologies and create jobs; and that restoration will be a boon to recreation, fisheries and tourism.

Skidmore's idea led through two rounds of voting, which was somewhat of a surprise, given the SEIU's focus on proposals related to the economy or wages.

"That really surprises me. My idea seemed a little out of character for the organization that was sponsoring the idea," Skidmore.

But, he said the environment seems to be on people's minds. "I think climate change is big in the news right now. I think the Iraq War is highlighting a lot of our dependence on fossil fuels."

SEIU president Andy Stern has said that the union will work to publicize the idea and talk with legislators about it.

More than 40,000 Americans voted for their favorite among the finalists. Two other runners-up each won $50,000: Filippo Menczer of Bloomington, Ind., for his idea to tie the minimum wage to the Cost of Living Index; and Leslie Hester of Raleigh, N.C., for her multi-tiered idea to reform public education, including sending local property taxes to a general state fund to be equally distributed per student.

To view the ideas or winners, see www.sinceslicedbread.com.

P-I reporter Kristin Dizon can be reached at 206-448-8118 or kristindizon@seattlepi.com.

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