During the last Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton essentially called Michigan Governor Rick Snyder a racist. Why? Because of the current water situation in Flint, Michigan.
Lost in Clinton’s remarks about Snyder and Flint is the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency knew about potential problems with Flint’s water supply for months, and did nothing to prevent the situation. The regional EPA administrator has had to resign as a result. The situation in Flint is not a first for the agency that claims to be in the business of protecting the environment.
A few months before Flint’s water ended up with lethal metals and lead in it, the Animas River which runs through Colorado and New Mexico was turned yellow after over one million gallons of waste were released from a mine by the EPA.
Why did this happen? Silverton, Colorado, is a small town in Southwestern Colorado and was one of the towns hit by the EPA’s mine catastrophe. In a letter to the editor of the local paper, retired geologist Dave Taylor noted:
…The [EPA’s] “grand experiment” in my opinion will fail. And guess what [EPA Representative] Mr. Hestmark will say then? Gee, “Plan A” didn’t work so I guess we will have to build another treatment plant at a cost to taxpayers of $100 million to $500 million (who knows). Reading between the lines, I believe that has been the EPA’s plan all along… After all, with a budget of $8.2 billion and 17,000 employees the EPA needs new, big projects to… justify their existence…
In other words, the EPA exists to protect, defend and promote… the EPA.
When the EPA turned the Animas River mustard yellow, the Navajo Nation slammed the government’s lackluster response as a threat to their way of life. Oddly enough, Hillary Clinton did not call President Obama or EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy a racist after that spill.
The same government agency that has to ask its employees to stop defecating in the hallway spends its time acting as a non-elected legislature, doing things like regulating puddles, and does not even do what its name says it should.
All the Departments of the Federal Government post what they are doing in the Federal Register. You can go to [federalregister dot gov] and sign up to have the postings emailed to you all five work days of the week. It is very eye opening. The EPA makes regular postings espousing “Environmental Justice” in collusion with WildEarth Guardians and Sierra Club. As well as issuing Consent Decrees fining tens of thousands of dollars against Municipalities which could be using those funds to correct problems. And other important subjects like methane gas released by farm animal manure as potentially needing regulation.
Other Departments show their sheer arrogance like the Department of the Interior – Fish and Wildlife Service which starts off its posting as, “We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),…” This just goes to show how they view themselves as a class removed from “We the People”. They must be very special people indeed who work at the Department of the Interior – Fish and Wildlife Service in as much their posting reveal they tirelessly endeavoring for all Americans to protect the California Red-legged Frog, California Tiger Salamander, Smith’s Blue Butterfly, Yadon’s Piperia, Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Glacier Stonefly, Chupadera Springsnail, Indiana bat, Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, Spring Pygmy Sunfish…and many more critters.
There is also an important fact to note in defense of the Federal Government. A lot of these postings are “Proposals” opened for Public Comment and the address where comments can be mailed or emailed are provided. An “engaged” citizenry would respond and tell the government what they think…after all the Federal Government IS asking. In my time reviewing the Federal Government routinely I have seen summaries where less that 10 comments out of a population of 320+ million people are provide. Top end is over 30 comments…and not by much.
As an added value, if you DO tell the Federal Government what you think you will undoubtedly be added to a “List” and scheduled, free of charge, to be rounded up and sent to a “Camp” at a later date. 🙂
Correction: “In my time reviewing the Federal Government…” should be “In my time reviewing the Federal Register…”