Guess what Republicans? We really need the Dept of Education, EPA and Energy

[Liability]

We aren't drilling in the tiny TINY portion of ANWR, an area that is literally an arctic desert bereft of human occupation, minimal wildlife occupation, and with no aesthetic beauty whatsoever because the EPA won't approve ANY process for going after the substantial oil reserves there.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have burned up when we lost California homes to wildfires because the EPA would not allow the homeowners to clear the brush away from their homes due to that MIGHT disturb the habitat of some protected rat. (I'm sure those fires didn't disturb that habitat though.)

We haven't built a major, large capacity refinery in this country since 1977, mostly because the EPA regulations make it far too difficult and expensive to do so. The few very small refineries and expansions that have finally met EPA specifications and have been built since then--the last in 2008 in Wyoming--have not handled more than a tiny fraction of the increase in demand since 1977.

We have millions of acres of prime cropland producing crops for ethanol, almost all at a cost to the taxpayer, because the government is making it more lucrative to use for that purpose than to grow food crops. And, in addition to that consuming large quantities of taxpayer monies as no ethanol plant has yet turned a profit, we are also seeing the higher costs of fruit and produce at the supermarket along with a much higher amount of imported produce coming in which has to be affecting trade balances.

We recently had a plastics manufacturer wanting to build a plant here in Albuquerque and he had bid on some property that suited his needs continent on him being able to get the necessary permits. After three years of waiting for EPA studies and approval to be given, he gave up and took his millions of dollars and 800 jobs to Texas. Shortly after that the EPA approved a chicken processing outfit--a much MUCH dirtier operation than the plastics manufacturing would have been--on that same land. As that expanded an existing operation, net new jobs, about 15. I suppose it was just coincidence--according to a local investigative reporter--that the chicken outfit had made a large donation to the Democratic Party??????

There are hundreds, probably thousands of examples like this that should be of concern to Americans of whatever political ideology. Reform doesn't seem possible. Just scrap the darn thing and start over with the small, efficient, effective agency that the EPA was when it first started out.

Reform may be difficult but it's not impossible. Scrapping it is. Environmental protection has strong support with the public. To scrap the agency, you have to repeal the laws and that's not going to happen.

The size of the Dept. would have little effect on the headline grabbers you listed. ANWR is protected by laws and international treaties. The EPA would move to stop drilling regardless of their size. If the EPA was seriously reduced in size, the super funds used to cleanup toxic waste would most probably be cut serious as would services to businesses such as education and and certification.

I'm sorry but I'm not buying it. When an agency becomes so big that it exists only for itself, it is time to dismantle it and start over. All they have to do is pass legislation that assigns the necessary functions of the EPA to other agencies, then defund and dismantle it. There is nothing, not even Supreme Court decisions, that cannot be undone if we have the will and competence to do it when necessary.

That's a huge "if," but your position is still 100% on the mark.

 

[Wiseacre]

I think HUD oughta go too.

 

[Foxfyre]

Yes. That "IF" is something we haven't had the will to do for more than 50 years now. Once a government agency or program is set up it attains the shelf life approximating that of a mop handle. Nothing is ever evaluated to see if it is doing the job, never audited to see how much it is wasting or losing track of altogether. Certainly no programs are shut down or defunded. They just keep making them bigger and bigger and adding more and more of them.

Of course the bureaucrats have to come up with high sounding programs within the agencies to keep people believing they are doing something worthwhile and to keep the budgets increasing every year so the salaries can go up.

Also the federal salary scales are a joke. If they want to pay themselves more, they just create a new position at a higher salary level and then appoint themselves to it. They might then discontinue the old position and use that to illustrate that they are closing down 'unnecessary' staff positions.

It is enough to make a body scream.

 

[Listening]

I think HUD oughta go too.

POW !!!

A right cross !

I like it.

 

[westwall]

What could be worse than closing down key agencies at critical points in our history?

At a time when our children are falling woefully behind other countries, Republicans want to kill the Dept of Education

At a time when Greenhouse gasses are affecting our climate.......Republicans want to close the Environmental Protection Agency

At a time when we are at the whim of an unstable middle east for oil imports......Republicans want to close the Dept of Energy

So, let me get this straight. The dept. of education has failed the children of our country to such an extent that they can't understand basic's that were taught 100 years ago. But they feel damned good about themselves!

The claim that GHG's are affecting the climate is completely unfounded and not supported by one shred of empirical data yet you feel fine allowing the EPA to cripple the economy of the US in some pie in the sky effort to control the temperature of the planet by one degree in 100 years...maybe?

Does that about cover it?

Here's a hint. Take care of yourself and let the agencies be shutdown. The country will do much better without their incompetent leadership.

 

[rightwinger]

. Here's a hint. Take care of yourself and let the agencies be shutdown. The country will do much better without their incompetent leadership.

Republican mindset in a nutshell. More reason why we can't trust them to make decisions on a modern society in a global economy

 

[JoeB131]

What could be worse than closing down key agencies at critical points in our history?

At a time when our children are falling woefully behind other countries, Republicans want to kill the Dept of Education

At a time when Greenhouse gasses are affecting our climate.......Republicans want to close the Environmental Protection Agency

At a time when we are at the whim of an unstable middle east for oil imports......Republicans want to close the Dept of Energy

The thing is, having those agencies hasn't helped any of those problems.

Oh, except for "Man-Bear-Pig"... global Warming. That isn't actually happening.

The Department of Education hasn't helped education in the least. Things have gotten worse, because government shouldn't be in the education business. They suck at it. Education should be handled by private schools, with parents being given tax breaks or vouchers for the tuition. Let the market work it out.

As for Energy, what has the DoE done since Carter's gas lines? Nothing. Our dependence on foreign oil has actually INCREASED since 1979.

 

[Seawytch]

What could be worse than closing down key agencies at critical points in our history?

At a time when our children are falling woefully behind other countries, Republicans want to kill the Dept of Education

At a time when Greenhouse gasses are affecting our climate.......Republicans want to close the Environmental Protection Agency

At a time when we are at the whim of an unstable middle east for oil imports......Republicans want to close the Dept of Energy

We may need parts of these dept but the EPA is way out of control. They wont you develop anything on a piece of land because of a frog or a lizard that may or may not be endangered. They are bullies and use their powers to get their way...

I have no problems with challenging individual regulations or rulings. I have no problems with accessing our court system to challenge the EPA. But to totally disband a crucial agency that has done much to protect our country is irresponsible

And yet that seems to be the Republican plan for everything. They don't want to fix anything, they want to destroy it. They are treating the country and our government like they are renting it.

They have been creating a self fulfilling prophecy. Republicans put morons in charge of these departments then point to them as failures. (Heck of a job Brownie)

 

[bripat9643]

Reform may be difficult but it's not impossible. Scrapping it is. Environmental protection has strong support with the public. To scrap the agency, you have to repeal the laws and that's not going to happen.

The size of the Dept. would have little effect on the headline grabbers you listed. ANWR is protected by laws and international treaties. The EPA would move to stop drilling regardless of their size. If the EPA was seriously reduced in size, the super funds used to cleanup toxic waste would most probably be cut serious as would services to businesses such as education and and certification.

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

 

[Intense]

We may need parts of these dept but the EPA is way out of control. They wont you develop anything on a piece of land because of a frog or a lizard that may or may not be endangered. They are bullies and use their powers to get their way...

I have no problems with challenging individual regulations or rulings. I have no problems with accessing our court system to challenge the EPA. But to totally disband a crucial agency that has done much to protect our country is irresponsible

And yet that seems to be the Republican plan for everything. They don't want to fix anything, they want to destroy it. They are treating the country and our government like they are renting it.

They have been creating a self fulfilling prophecy. Republicans put morons in charge of these departments then point to them as failures. (Heck of a job Brownie)

 

[rightwinger]

Reform may be difficult but it's not impossible. Scrapping it is. Environmental protection has strong support with the public. To scrap the agency, you have to repeal the laws and that's not going to happen.

The size of the Dept. would have little effect on the headline grabbers you listed. ANWR is protected by laws and international treaties. The EPA would move to stop drilling regardless of their size. If the EPA was seriously reduced in size, the super funds used to cleanup toxic waste would most probably be cut serious as would services to businesses such as education and and certification.

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

 

[Full-Auto]

Reform may be difficult but it's not impossible. Scrapping it is. Environmental protection has strong support with the public. To scrap the agency, you have to repeal the laws and that's not going to happen.

The size of the Dept. would have little effect on the headline grabbers you listed. ANWR is protected by laws and international treaties. The EPA would move to stop drilling regardless of their size. If the EPA was seriously reduced in size, the super funds used to cleanup toxic waste would most probably be cut serious as would services to businesses such as education and and certification.

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The apology was for the chicago style shakedown.

So if you are trying for the high ground, you were just punked.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Reform may be difficult but it's not impossible. Scrapping it is. Environmental protection has strong support with the public. To scrap the agency, you have to repeal the laws and that's not going to happen.

The size of the Dept. would have little effect on the headline grabbers you listed. ANWR is protected by laws and international treaties. The EPA would move to stop drilling regardless of their size. If the EPA was seriously reduced in size, the super funds used to cleanup toxic waste would most probably be cut serious as would services to businesses such as education and and certification.

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The FDA also needs to be shut down if they want to mess with the private coop farms.

 

[bripat9643]

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

You mean you approve of the government violating the Constitution and extorting money from companies that haven't been convicted of anything?

 

[rightwinger]

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The apology was for the chicago style shakedown.

So if you are trying for the high ground, you were just punked.

"Chicago style shakedown"

Was a gun held to their head? How is requiring BP to clean up it's own mess and compensate victims of their negligence a shakedown?

Oh yes....I forgot

You are Republican. One does what big business tells them

 

[Full-Auto]

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The apology was for the chicago style shakedown.

So if you are trying for the high ground, you were just punked.

"Chicago style shakedown"

Was a gun held to their head? How is requiring BP to clean up it's own mess and compensate victims of their negligence a shakedown?

Oh yes....I forgot

You are Republican. One does what big business tells them

I realize you are so desperate as to take the stupid position by default. So you are trying to tell us the laws in place to deal with these accidents were inadequate and required Obama to rewrite the entire process with threats.

You are an idiot of the highest order.

 

[Full-Auto]

The apology was for the chicago style shakedown.

So if you are trying for the high ground, you were just punked.

"Chicago style shakedown"

Was a gun held to their head? How is requiring BP to clean up it's own mess and compensate victims of their negligence a shakedown?

Oh yes....I forgot

You are Republican. One does what big business tells them

I realize you are so desperate as to take the stupid position by default. So you are trying to tell us the laws in place to deal with these accidents were inadequate and required Obama to rewrite the entire process with threats.

You are an idiot of the highest order.

Lets add to Right wingers idiocy.....................

Rahm was on the BP payroll and it was the Obama admin that hand walked the company past the lawsuits and said they didnt need to comply with environmental rules.

 

[Seawytch]

Obama increased the EPA budget by 125%, so we could easily decrease it's budget by 60% and we be at the same point we were at in 2008. I don't recall any environmental catastrophes occurring before Obama got elected.

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The FDA also needs to be shut down if they want to mess with the private coop farms.

FIX, don't destroy.

 

[bripat9643]

"Chicago style shakedown"

Was a gun held to their head?

Yes. Guns are used to accomplish everything the government does.

How is requiring BP to clean up it's own mess and compensate victims of their negligence a shakedown?

They were cleaning up the mess. The $20 billion was in addition to that. No court ever determined that BP owed the money. That's called "due process." Obama simply BP pony up the cash or else. That's called "extortion."

Oh yes....I forgot

You are Republican. One does what big business tells them

We haven't forgotten that you support government violating the due process rights of Americans. You defend government intimidation and extortion.

 

[Intense]

And I don't recall Democrats apologizing to polluters for making them clean up their own mess

The FDA also needs to be shut down if they want to mess with the private coop farms.

FIX, don't destroy.

We Agree.