Republicans are saying that as a government we cannot afford to protect air and water quality. As a nation we are the envy of the world when it comes to natural resources, and what does the GOP think? Pure water is a socialist plot, and the 'Merican people won't stand for it. For the next fundraising dinner, I suggest steaks from an unregulated slaughter house and ice-cold DC water all around. You want to take this country back? Let's take it back to 1906! Upton Sinclair would be put in the camp of global warming alarmists today.
That is the headline that I run with an any race against a member of the House: Congressman X believes there simply isn't room in the budget (your tax dollars) for clean air and water. What is more important than that? If you cannot breath clean air and drink non-carcinogenic water, what is this country worth?
I want to know the business interests that are more important than pure natural resources. Please turn to your child on a hot day as you had them a drink of water and say "Sorry, baby: I know the water is black and tastes and smells like burnt rubber, but we have to make sure oil companies keep their tax breaks to increase their record profits. When you grow up you will realize that is what the Founding Fathers risked their lives for - oh, that and ending slavery: hat tip to Michele Bachmann."
The new House majority has had a good time their first six months, as it has been fairly easy. All they have had to do is find a friendly reporter and say that they were elected to Congress to slash all spending. Well, team, Americans pay taxes for other things than just to pay the salaries of their reps: they pay them so that they won't choke to death breathing or poison themselves or their children when they turn on the tap or eat fish from local waters. In 1969 the Cuyahoga River burned (yes, Mr. Wizard: water burned) due to all the chemicals clogging Cleveland's waterway. This led to the president at the time (wish I could remember his party affiliation...) to sign into the law the Clean Water Act and oversaw the creation of the EPA. Will someone tell me why the right wants to get rid of these protections and turn 21st century America into a post-apocalyptic Cormac McCarthy novel?
This is supposed to be a hard job, ladies and gentlemen. It's not just parades and fundraisers. Politicians say that they don't want to leave the next generations a financial catastrophe; don't leave them an environmental one as well. This is more than just an issue for sportsmen: it's an issue for anyone walking this earth, and hunters and anglers will walk right to the ballot box and make a change they can believe in.
