Republicans, is pollution really your best idea for creating more jobs?

Question

I mean seriously, you're biggest job proposals are defunding the EPA and allowing dirtier water air and soil.

Answer 1

Several points.



1. First 99% of the pollution oversight comes from the states, not EPA. What we are currently doing now would continue if USEPA was returned to its former form as a smaller agency.



2. USEPA rules add 5-15% to the cost of US produced goods. This same production moved oversees ADDS 5-200X more pollution to the globe. USEPA is doing nothing to keep the production here in the USA where it can be controlled. Supporting USEPA now, means that global pollution increases. You are really selfish not requiring all manufacturing for US goods to meet strict controls, not just US companies. Remember that next time your label does not say MADE IN USA.



3. USEPA is currently making regulations that are so strict compared to the rest of the world, companies have no choice but to move. It is not a matter of polluting less, moving to the Far East is easier. Companies have to make a profit and they have to be able to compete.



4. There are many things that USEPA is doing well, but they are too much involved in sanitizing production instead of really protecting the environment. They are about to start coming after the public, the largest polluters. Some of the things they are studying include. No powered tools (lawnmowers, hedge clippers, etc), nothing over a 40 watt light bulb, no pickup trucks/SUVs, only one car per family, gas rationing, power limitation meters on your house (they cut your lights out), and others. You may laugh at these, but they are options they do discuss.



Remember, the USA rules are the strictest in the world NOW. We can have perfectly clean air and water, but the cost to the USA would be to create a second rate country and lowering our standard of living. What we have now is the cleanest in the industrial world. Part of what is wrong in the EU now can be traced to environmental and safety overprotection.

Answer 2

Oh yeah... defunding the EPA will result in dirty water, air and soil... You do realize that the state governments have departments dedicated to the environment and are capable of managing it?



Also, the EPA has progressively reduced the "acceptable" particulate matter counts to ridiculous and unrealistic levels. Levels so low that no business could achieve without paying heavy fines, increased tax burdens or those stupid carbon credits. The EPA is nothing but a left wing enviro-nazi outfit pushing the agenda of the Sierra-Club and other fringe enviro-groups and circumventing the legislative branch via abused executive branch powers.



F*** the EPA. Let states handle their own pollution control measures.

Answer 3

We don't need the EPA to have a clean environment, the EPA is just another bureaucratic way to suck up money from the budget

Answer 4

It's sugar-coated in the "Government should get out of the way" rhetoric. But yes.



The idea is that businesses would somehow be self-policing when it comes to pollution, product safety, employee treatment, etc. Never mind that such laws were enacted here specifically because businesses weren't self-policing. Or that a quick look around the world at countries where such laws don't exist show the opposite.



I grew up in the US near a large chemical plant which a few times a year would "accidentally" spill something into the adjoining river and kill off a ton of fish. Then the EPA cracked down on them. Now the river is much cleaner AND the company is *still* making record profits. Get out of the way? HA.

Answer 5

Don't drink the Obama kool-aid; it rots your brain. Haven't you heard of the big oil strike in the Dakotas and the natural gas boom in several states? If the government were helpful, we would have a boom right now, but then liberals don't want poor people to get jobs, do they?

Answer 6

The EPA is more than just "dirty air and dirty water". They consider the odor coming from bakeries pollution. Clean energy accounts for single digit energy production, percentage wise. There is no way it is going to solve our energy needs.

Answer 7

Regulations have been responsible for losing just 1,100 jobs. To put that in perspective, that's how many Solyandra employed, and republicans are happy that failed.

Answer 8

Yes, that's as good as the GOPlutocratsPuppetsParty gets:





“The Texan industrialist Koch brothers, Charles and David, worth about $35 billion together are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services, and much less oversight of industry—especially environmental regulation....



"Koch Industries has been ranked in the top 10 polluters in the USA, and Greenpeace called it the kingpin of climate science denial.



“The Koches vastly outdid Exxon-Mobil in financing the anti-climate forces, underwriting a huge network of foundations, think tanks and political front groups.



"They funded many opposition campaigns to many of Obama’s programs, including the stimulus & health care.



“Charles Lewis, founder of the non-partisan watchdog Center for Public Integrity said, ‘the Koches are on a whole different level. No one else has spent this much.



"They have a pattern of lawbreaking,



"political manipulation, and obfuscation.



"I’ve been in Washington since Watergate, and I’ve never seen anything like it.



"They are the Standard Oil of our times.’



“They funded the Tea Party as a ‘populist uprising against special interests and lobbyists.’ David Axelrod, Obama’s senior adviser, said, ‘What they don’t say is that, in part, this is a grassroots citizens’ movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires.’ ” http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer



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Paul Krugman, Nobel Laureate: The lunatic fringe is now the heart of the GOP.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/opinion/25krugman.html







http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/06/nation/la-na-koch-brothers-20110206 "The Koches are now at the center of Republican power, a change most evident in the new makeup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee...



“The Koches contributed $279,500 to its GOP members and $32,000 to the minority Dems.



"The GOP members have vowed to undo regulations on greenhouse gases…”

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Californians will save up to $68 billion in healthcare costs in the first 15 years w/ new anti-pollution laws on diesel vehicles over 14,000 lbs.



The cost of the cleanup is far outweighed by the benefits in a state that has the dirtiest air in the nation.



Diesel trucks are responsible for a third of the smog in California.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/13/local/me-diesel13

Answer 9

defunding the EPA doesn't increase the legal limits on pollution





much like defunding the Dept of Education doesn't mean public schools end



you probably don't even know that the Dept of Education is only 32 years old

Answer 10

If you believe that propaganda put out buy your fearless leader Obama, it is hopeless to answer your question. All I can say is you had better go beyond listening to the "MAN" and start learning the truth. The man is pulling out all the stops in an effort to keep his office.

Answer 11

You could try Gov. Christies' New jersey plan to create jobs.



After all he was the darling of the republicans begged by may to run for president in 2012.



http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201111/02/359776/new-jersey-goya-nine-jobs/





And it only cost the NJ taxpayers $80 million to create 9 new jobs!

Answer 12

Go down to the Detroit River and get a glass of water if you think the EPA does its job now. We shouldn't have to pay for an Environmental Protection Agency that doesn't do anything to protect the environment.

Answer 13

Conservatives have never been big on history. They don't want people to remember the times before environmental regulations.

Answer 14

No, by ll means, close down MORE plants and put more workers out of jobs.



Do you know that at the EXACT same time environmentalists celebrate a plant closing, a plant worker is telling his family he lost his job.

Maybe you could climb down off your high horse for a second to give a damn about them.

Answer 15

You are so clueless. We are broke, do you understand this concept? We can't keep funding every bright idea that crosses the board until we get people working again!

Answer 16

What in the hell are you talking about? Another good reason to close down public schools.

Answer 17

If you think that's what it's all about then you are pretty foolish.

Answer 18

they know it won't create jobs..they're just trying to please their corporate masters