B
barbless
Member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2008
- Messages
- 483
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/epa-report-more-than-half-nations-rivers-in-poor-shape/2013/03/26/a91dd714-965f-11e2-8b4e-0b56f26f28de_story.html
The report itself
http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/
I have to say it again: stream improvement and soil conservation projects would make for a great Federal stimulus program.
But the chances are nil, since the top national leadership of the Democratic Party- overwhelmingly comprised of wealthy cosmopolites who prefer telling the common people what's good for them instead of listening to them- used up its once considerable political capital to add another massive Federal entitlement program instead, back in 2009.
There's a Pyrrhic victory for you.
So why do I keep voting for Democrats? Because the Republican agenda calls for full speed ahead on coal production- which means a fast track for leveling the mountains of Appalachia, undoing mercury pollution and acid rain regulations, and withdrawing Federal EPA oversight over the states. Along with their recent record of successful filibustering of water treatment funding bills, and loud, proud support for just about every other unsound industrial and agricultural practice that's put 55% of American waterways in poor condition. The studied neglect of Republicans on matters of natural infrastructure, like soil conservation, is also a matter of record.
References for those claims available on request.
Would a Republican administration approve Pebble Mine? There's gold there! What do you think?
So we have both kinds of political parties to choose from! The Posers and the Land Rapers. And if I seem to lean in favor of the Posers these days, it's mostly because environmental concerns are paramount to me, and 10% is better than zero. Not to put too fine a point on it, but imo that's still an uncomfortably precise assessment. Especially when I look down the road 20 years, when the country has added another 50 million people. The additional infrastructure to accommodate that increase has to begin building NOW. (To which the Republican leadership would reply that "we have plenty of storm drains already", while the Democrats would look around for a can to kick.)
The report itself
http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/
I have to say it again: stream improvement and soil conservation projects would make for a great Federal stimulus program.
But the chances are nil, since the top national leadership of the Democratic Party- overwhelmingly comprised of wealthy cosmopolites who prefer telling the common people what's good for them instead of listening to them- used up its once considerable political capital to add another massive Federal entitlement program instead, back in 2009.
There's a Pyrrhic victory for you.
So why do I keep voting for Democrats? Because the Republican agenda calls for full speed ahead on coal production- which means a fast track for leveling the mountains of Appalachia, undoing mercury pollution and acid rain regulations, and withdrawing Federal EPA oversight over the states. Along with their recent record of successful filibustering of water treatment funding bills, and loud, proud support for just about every other unsound industrial and agricultural practice that's put 55% of American waterways in poor condition. The studied neglect of Republicans on matters of natural infrastructure, like soil conservation, is also a matter of record.
References for those claims available on request.
Would a Republican administration approve Pebble Mine? There's gold there! What do you think?
So we have both kinds of political parties to choose from! The Posers and the Land Rapers. And if I seem to lean in favor of the Posers these days, it's mostly because environmental concerns are paramount to me, and 10% is better than zero. Not to put too fine a point on it, but imo that's still an uncomfortably precise assessment. Especially when I look down the road 20 years, when the country has added another 50 million people. The additional infrastructure to accommodate that increase has to begin building NOW. (To which the Republican leadership would reply that "we have plenty of storm drains already", while the Democrats would look around for a can to kick.)
