Guest Article: The Continuing EPA Budget Battle

from Nicholas Scott:

The GOP has recently been setting out on an effort to cut down on a number of domestic programs, yet they are also aiming at many of the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations that they believe are a major obstacle in revenue and creating jobs. While the actions have included attempts to lower the power of the clean air act and come down on some of the EPA’s regulations, the campaign to have the EPA’s budget by a third may be the biggest issue of them all. With all of the moves by the GOP against the EPA in early 2011, it seems more like an assault on the foundation of the EPA, rather than just a campaign to help businesses and increase jobs. If the GOP is able to follow through and have the budget sliced by a third, this could bring forth the possibility of diminished air quality and future health risks.

Some republicans are adamant in saying that the clean air act is not at stake with all of their initiatives against the EPA.  Republican Fred Upton claims that the GOP is looking to return the clean air act to its original reason for being created, to protect people and families from smog and pollution. Upton was a main backer of the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, which is directly aimed at taking away the EPA’s ability to oversee greenhouse gas emissions.  Upton’s take on regulating emissions seems shaky. Sure he says that he wants to return the clean air act to its original purpose, but he also pushes to let businesses have free rein on emissions. In eliminating the EPA’s ability to regulate these emissions and downplaying their importance, it almost signals to businesses and factories that abusing the levels of emission for the purpose of increased revenue is alright. The price of diminished air quality and the possible ensuing health risks could be the cost of raised revenue and employment

Sometimes it’s very hard to realize the impact an organization like the EPA can have on the people. The EPA works with a number of regulations, standards, and initiatives aimed at reducing health risks. Monitoring greenhouse gas emission for example, allows the EPA to make sure that increased pollution and smog don’t turn into health risks such as asthma and other respiratory problems. The EPA also fights every year to keep public water clean, monitor the level of mercury in fish and aquatic life, as well as monitor pesticides and keeping related illnesses down. The EPA also has an initiative geared towards asbestos removal all over the country. This is aimed at helping to prevent short term risks such as dizziness and nausea, as well as long term health risks like asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a type of construction material that was used constantly throughout the last century in all types of products, specifically in many older buildings, workplaces and structures. With mesothelioma life expectancy being very short and workers contracting symptoms, use of this material was gradually blacklisted. While no one uses asbestos today, it’s still being removed from older structures all over the country by the EPA.

The EPA certainly works as an organization that has its hand in a number of different projects, such as promoting sustainability, monitoring levels of pollution, and subsequently looking to keep health risks down.  As the battle continues on over whether or not the EPA should be involved with certain issues, both groups are looking for improvements to the country. The EPA is looking to maintain their ability to prevent health risks, while the GOP is looking to increase revenue for businesses, as well as create jobs.

Related Articles

• “How Much Do We Need Greenhouse Gas Regulations” by Nicholas Scott (afrospear.com)
• “GOP Attack On EPA: Guest Post” and related posts (thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com)
• Clean Air Act Attacks Continue and Intensify (mydd.com)
• The Assault on the EPA & the Clean Air Act Begins Today (treehugger.com)
• EPA chief faces hostile House GOP (politico.com)
• Obama pushed to deliver on climate (politico.com)

Wisconsin GOP attacks Judge Sumi(‘s lifestyle!)

clipped from www.salon.com Excerpt from the Dane County Republican broadside: Judge Maryann Sumi The Republican Party of Dane County recognizes that Judge Sumi is a leftist living in Dane County. Her friends are leftists living in Dane County. Her son is a left wing activist in Dane County. She goes to cocktail parties held by leftists in Dane County. She shops at organic gourmet food shops run by leftists living in Dane County. If she were to enforce the law of Wisconsin and do what was in the best interest of the people of Wisconsin, she’d be exiled from her lifestyle. She’d lose her friends! The leadership of the Republican Party of Dane County have all made the choice to stand against the Dane County elite. We accept that Left feels righteous vandalizing our homes and keying our cars. It’s only fair. We disagree based upon logic and principle. That is intolerable! We prioritize the Constitution and the well being of the people of Wisconsin over foie gras at cocktail parties. That’s the choice we made. She shops at organic gourmet food shops run by leftists! Off with her head! But I’m confused — surely someone who cares so deeply about her food would eschew foie gras — made from obscenely fattened ducks — would she not?

Related Articles

• Childish Wisconsin GOP Taunts “Leftist” Judge (theawl.com)
• Are Young Interns Writing Dane County Republican Press Releases? (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• Wisconsin Republican officials: We’ll continue to implement the collective bargaining law, despite the judge’s TRO (hotair.com)
• Meanwhile in Wisconsin, Another TRO (volokh.com)
• Maryann Sumi Blocks Law – Again (freedomeden.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin judge declares union law not in effect (thestar.com)
• Wisconsin Judge Blocks Gov. Walker – Again (blogs.forbes.com)

Defending a Blog from Spam…

Since I put it in 3 years ago, my spam preventing software, Akismet, has kept 9,454 people from getting their comments or pingbacks on Under the LobsterScope. It’s accuracy rate has been 98.31%, and of the 1.69% it has removed by accident, I have been able to check through them and put them all back. This is a pretty good record and I’m very happy with Akismet.

For the most part, the spammers we have intercepted were people trying to use comment areas for free advertising. Obviously, they ignore the warning I put at the top of column 2 of the blog. I am glad to promote much advertising, but not for free and not in the comments. And since it is easy to get ahold of me, I’m surprised that none of these yoyos do it.

I also cut out sex sites, comments on politics which don’t take a fair and honest look at either side ( I quickly cut comments that use expletives to describe most politicians and especially Democrats and Liberals… although I have been known to apply this protection to Conservatives as well) and comments that have nothing to do with the post it is commenting on.

All in all, it has not effected the 356,000+ readers who have visited  Under The LobsterScope over the same period… many of whom have left comments that often educated me on various issues, and for that I am grateful.

- Bill

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Baseball Season Begins Today…

… and, in its honor, is my video of Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer (1888):

Have a good season. And go Red Sox!

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Even though Obama’s secret order was revealed by Reuters…

… the White House isn’t admitting it:

“No decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any groups in Libya. We’re not ruling it out or ruling it in.”

- White House press secretary Jay Carney, yesterday.