Monday, May 05, 2008

If it ain't broke, it ain't Bushed, yet

Good article by Ed Naha. See the Readers' Comments at the end. Some intelligent analysis there, too!
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/14445

One par-for-the-Bush-course Excerpt:

Last week, it was revealed that EPA assessments of the health dangers posed by toxic chemicals have been delayed and/or changed because non-scientists are participating in the reviewing process. The Pentagon, the Energy Department, NASA, political appointees and chemical manufacturers have participated "at almost every step in the assessment process," reported the non-partisan Government Accountability Office. "The (EPA) scientists feel as if they have lost complete control of the process, that it's been taken over by the White House and that they're calling the shots," one anonymous scientist said.

So, remember, kids: discarded rocket fuel in your tap water doesn't cause cancer. It gives you extra "oomph!"

Meanwhile, 60% of the EPA scientists responding to a survey...said that BushCo. was either twisting or tossing scientific findings that didn't benefit the Administration or its cronies across the board. "Our investigation found an agency in crisis," said Francesca Grifo of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Distorting science to accommodate a narrow political agenda threatens our environment, our health and our democracy itself."

When California recently moved to impose stricter regulations on its own, the EPA quashed it, although its own scientists were for it. EPA chief Stephen Johnson has tossed out every excuse in the book in order to hide any of the EPA's in-house findings, from national security to the chance that documents showing scientists voting in favor of cleaner air and the EPA ignoring them would be confusing. It "could result in needless public confusion about the Administrator's decision."

No, I think most of the public would get it. The concepts of "unscrupulous whore" and "partisan hack" are pretty much part of Americana, these days.

Just last week, EPA/BushCo. forced its top environmental regulator in the Midwest to quit because she went after Dow Chemical for not cleaning up dioxin-saturated soil and sediment extending 50 miles beyond Dow's Midland, Michigan plant, contaminating both Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Highly respected EPA employee Mary Gade said that she was stripped of her powers as a regional administrator and told to quit or be fired by June. The EPA mumbled its usual disgruntled employee riff. The amazing thing about Gade's firing is that Dow has already taken responsibility for the toxicity. It just doesn't want to do anything about it.


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