Reason #631: The Everglades
I'm sick and tired of the arrogance of this president and his henchmen. They have hobbled the US economy, made a complete mess of US foreign policy and are determined to reverse every hard-earned environmental protection passed over the last 30 years.
Does any Republican remember that it was Nixon who signed the EPA into law? Thanks to this Republican president, the EPA and the Department of Interior have become little more than a front for industry insiders to make sure they have unfettered and unregulated access to mine, refine, cut timber and foul our air and water. Their strategy in a nutshell seems to be simple: ignore the laws that are already in place while working to rewrite them. Their message to those who oppose environmental protection has been, Fight environmental laws in the courts and we'll look the other way, or better yet, we'll argue on your behalf.
A brief filed today with the U.S. Supreme Court by the federal government argues that municipal water management districts can pipe dirty water into cleaner water without any permit under the federal Clean Water Act.
The decision by the United States to side with the water management district in its Supreme Court battle comes on the heels of the State of Florida’s decision in June to weaken pollution rules for the Everglades, including allowing a twelve year delay in requiring a stop to phosphorus pollution (which kills native Everglades vegetation). That decision, like this one, was criticized widely as conflicting with an $8 billion 30-year government civil works project launched in 2000 to restore the Everglades, the nation’s largest subtropical wetlands and home to 68 endangered and threatened species.
“Once again, the Bush administration is letting the American people down on behalf of polluters, in this instance, abdicating its responsibility to ensure that the nation's clean water law and regulations are upheld,” said Robin Mann, Chair of the Sierra Club's National Clean Water Campaign.
Nothing is sacred to these people, expect the almighty dollar. Shame on them and the parents who didn't raise them to know the difference between right and wrong. And shame on us for electing them. (Oh, they weren't elected, you say? Well let's get them out of the White House then!)
