Mike Enzi called, he wants to give his award back
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 12:01AM 
"I never thought I would see the Republican Party doing this kind of stuff."
Everything Klug says regarding the threat to the environment and it's impact on the fly business is spot on, and he should be congratulated for making such a public statement. However, it's not exactly news that Republicans are suddenly trying to gut environmental regulations, they've been at it for the last 30+ years.
Remember James Watt? He was Secretary of the Interior under Ronald Reagan.
Watt decreased funding for environmental programs, restructured the department to decrease federal regulatory power, tried to eliminate the Land and Water Conservation Fund, eased regulations of oil and mining companies, and directed the National Park Service to draft legislation that would have de-authorized a number of previously Congressionally authorized National Parks. Watt resisted accepting donations of private land to be used for conservation purposes and proposed that all 80 million acres of undeveloped land in the United States be opened for drilling and mining in the year 2000. The area leased to coal mining companies quintupled during Watt's term as Secretary of the Interior. Watt was eventually fired for making bigoted remarks.
How about Reagan's Director of the EPA Anne Gorsuch Burford? She was indicted for having tried to gut the agency. As agency head, she cut the budget of the EPA by 22%, reduced the number of cases filed against polluters, relaxed Clean Air Act regulations, and facilitated the spraying of restricted-use pesticides. She cut the total number of agency employees, and hired staff from the industries they were supposed to be regulating. Gorsuch resigned in the midst of a Congressional investigation.
Gale Norton? She was the Secretary of the Interior under George W. Bush and a former staffer for James Watt. At the time of her resignation, Norton was considered "the Bush administration's leading advocate for expanding oil and gas drilling and other industrial interests in the West. After her resignation, driven by an inspector general ethics probe, Norton joined Royal Dutch Shell Oil company as a legal adviser in their oil-shale division.
Norton's replacement Dick Kempthorne held the record for protecting fewer species over his tenure than any other Interior Secretary in United States history, a record previously held by....... James Watt.
Dick Cheney? Where do you start? In addition to his influence on loosening regulations on polluters, he was personally responsible for cutting off water on the Klamath in favor of irrigators resulting in tens of thousands of salmon rotting on the banks of the Klamath River.
Bottom line is the politics do matter. Of the 110 anti-environment votes in the current congress, 97 percent of Republicans voted for the anti-environment position, 84 percent of Democrats voted for the pro-environment position. We can lobby the current congress all day long to vote for a healthier environment but ultimately the real change will have to come from the voting booth.
fish politics, vote the environment in Politics
Reader Comments (8)
The Dems may "protect" the environment, but the damage they've caused to this country in just three years cuts far deeper than the environmental shortcomings of the Right could dream of. I think if the Right was lobbied by their own kind for pro environment issues things might change. Most "environmentalist" Leftys are wack jobs who lobby the Right with emotionally charged full frontal assaults and get blown off before they even open their mouths. However, if someone who thinks Right but is also passionate about environmental issues would sit down and explain their cause I think we'd get a different result with this congress. Those of us who love the outdoors, Right or Left, have many of the same environmental goals. The difference is the Right is able to remove all the emotion and get to the point.
Yeah, you're right - and it ain't looking good for your boy Bama and the rest of his turds...
The current administration is not the cause of our problems, as convenient a scapegoat as they may be. And the fear-mongering Right is hardly above emotional appeal. That's their trademark, Linemender. Don't fool yourself.
Agreed that the best hope for our environment is for Rs to get serious. Ds are a constant disappointment. Bunch of slippery, spineless weenies. But look at where today's Rs are moving. In the name of "the economy" they are willing to gut our natural resources and expose poor folks to poisons? They should be deeply ashamed. I'm ashamed for them. And dickbag Perry, the climate change denier? What a bunch of assholes.
Irrigators? You mean the farms that feed the world?
Linemender says:
"The Dems may "protect" the environment, but the damage they've caused to this country in just three years cuts far deeper than the environmental shortcomings of the Right could dream of."
Just three years to turn the sinking ship around, huh? It took 8 years to sink it.
"The difference is the Right is able to remove all the emotion and get to the point."
Oh really. The right are the only ones capable of logical thought, huh?
The above article seems pretty straight forward, definitely factual, and pretty free of emotion.
"if someone who thinks Right but is also passionate about environmental issues would sit down and explain their cause I think we'd get a different result with this congress."
I think Right. I mean I think I'm right. I'm not insane or dumb, or idiotic...
But when it comes to conservation of fish & wildlife, protection and restoration of habitat - I vote Left most of the time.
Maybe if Teddy R. resurrected from the dead, I might consider voting "Right".
Laughing -
We'll never agree politically, but I'd bet we could spend a day on the water together and do nothing but laugh and catch fish. I agree with you on Teddy R. An amazing man.
Linemender-
I do that everyday w/ people I don't agree politically. And that is what needs to happen more!! R's and D's need to find common ground on conservation issues!!
Sportsmen all over this country need to band together - R's and D's. And we need to say to ourselves... "How much do we really VALUE conservation and protection of our N Resources". Elk & deer habitat, waterfowl habitat, salmon & steelhead watersheds... there are consequences to current decisions being made right now by POLITICIANS that will affect these things.
It's time SPORTSMEN put aside the political issues and focus on what is REALLY IMPORTANT and that is conserving and preserving our national heritage. WE NEED A 3rd PARTY!!!!!!
so how many of you guys (and girls) put your money where your mouth is and support conservation groups like TRCP (that's the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership)?