Comments on: Enormously Pathetic Agency

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:33:52 +0000

Sadly, I think we are losing control of our country to environmental wackos (and only hope we don’t lose it to the the religous ones as well). Anytime an organization such as the EPA aquires too much power, it degrades into a self serving beast whose only benificiaries are themselves. The environmental crowd seems to have its fair share of them. Throw in a boogy man like global warming, global cooling, or some other nebulous doom and become emperor, entitled to loot the treasury. As to trying to put distance between the EPA and the Office of Management and Budget– get real. Those people aren’t completely clueless. OMB controls the purse strings. OMB is lead around in part by the president, which currently is clueless– that is a good thing in this particular instance, but it is the case of a blind pig finding the occasional acorn rather than some devine inspiration– With a new administration comes a new agenda and we will get exactly what we deserve. We have become willing participants, too wealthy, fat and civil to even question their motives.

By: jonathan

jonathan — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:05:22 +0000

Thank God we havent totally lost control of our contry to enviromental wackos! I Thought president Bush hadnt done a lot of good, but I was wrong! Praise the Lord! God bless him for not giving in to popular lunacy!

By: thom

thom — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:41:51 +0000

The FY08 EPA budget, approved in the omnibus budget bill, allocates $1 million to restore EPA’s network of libraries. In communications with EPA staff, SLA has received clarification that this $1 million is additional money, above the budget requested by the EPA, and is
specifically to restore the network of regional EPA libraries which were recently closed or consolidated by the Administration in 2007.
http://www.sla-divisions.typepad.com/government_information/2008/01/epa-libraries-b.html

By: James R.

James R. — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:11:36 +0000

You really don’t want the EPA ran by a board of governors elected by the scientific community. There are more political influences in that community than in most gov. offices. They have to get on certian band wagons to get their funding, grants, and publicity. I do think that a change is needed. Maybe let the state Governors elect the board mambers.

By: John B

John B — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:28:20 +0000

Maybe it’s time to disband the current EPA, since it cannot be trusted to act without political influence, and form it again without political appointees owing their jobs to the any administration. It should possibly be run by a board of governors elected by the scientific community.

By: Andy Siebert

Andy Siebert — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:58:14 +0000

This reminds me of my first brush with addressing a government group: the Midwest Infrastructure Security Forum. Right after 9-11 I attended one of their meetings and heard discussions of securing resources, and making sure our nuclear power plants could withstand airplanes being flown into them.

I asked: what are we doing to increase renewable resources to reduce our dependency on foreign oil? Who worries about crashing an airplane into a windmill?

The room which was full of firefighters, CIA, FBI, and other law enforcement folk just stared at me for a moment of shocked silence. The brow beating that followed then erupted into clapping. The response was exemplary of the “groupmindedness” that became so popular with the Bush administration. They told me “this is a time when Americans need to come together.” I never felt more alone.

Ironically, Sam Brownbeck (Kansas senator) later entered the room and started talking about ethanol and other alternative energy research. I spoke with him afterwards and found it peculiar that while I was telling him I was excited to hear what he said, he stepped backwards as his security stepped forwards…

The status quo reinforces itself, and it’s no surprise the EPA is at the mercy of its present progenitors. This is how rich white men have controlled nearly everything in this country since its transition from the indigenous population to the occupying force now in control of its resources. The problem is that this IS a time when Americans need to come together, but we’re all plugged into our individual media-induced waking dreams. The president or any administration isn’t going to stand up to industry until we demand it from it, and that requires stepping out of the herd… to be heard.

By: trog69

trog69 — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:35:58 +0000

Great article, Mr. Mooney.

One thought on why the silence over the debasement of all our science-based regulatory agencies, might have something to do with the fact that all three presidential candidates are still getting a check for their work in Congress. Which means that they would also have to acknowledge that this is going on during their watch. I’d kinda like to know what they’ve been doing about this.

By: Nick Wigginton

Nick Wigginton — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:38:25 +0000

Excellent read that reinforces the unfortunate yet overwhelming opinion of EPA. Yet another reason why the candidates need to more explicitly discuss their plans for EPA (perhaps at Science Debate 2008–http://www.sciencedebate2008.com )