Clear Skies Act written by companies that pollute the air

[HamiltonHabs32]

"Clear skies" v. "clean government"? by David Shuster

Once upon a time in Washington, D.C., there was such a thing as a "conflict of interest." The phrase was used to describe situations that should be avoided in order to (1) limit the power of "insiders" and (2) maximize the potential for government decisions that were balanced, fair, and had integrity.

None of those words apply to the latest environmental legislation that has emerged from the Bush administration and is now being considered on Capitol Hill. This week, several reporters (including myself) were given previously secret documents that clearly show the "Clear Skies Act," (which is supposed to regulate industries that pollute the air) was written by lobbyists representing those very same polluting industries. The documents show that two years ago, eight power plant companies reviewed the administration's first draft and submitted a list of "essential changes." The administration complied... and all of the changes are part of the new legislation.

The issue is significant because the National Academy of Sciences is reporting that if the "Clear Skies Act" passes in its current form, it would lead to more air pollution being pumped into the air than is allowed under current laws.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445086/#scum

[JohnnyRingo]

1. Pollution = Profit

The honor system and voluntary controls DON'T cancel out corporate greed....It takes government oversight.

I don't think we have that kind of "leadership" in the White House.

[MSgt213]

2. Every piece of legislation the republicans pass benefits corporations

first and the people never. This is what we wanted when we reelect them time after time. This is what we got.

[whistle]

5. What do you mean by "we"? I have never voted for a republican

...ever in my life and I've not voted for democrats who think like and act like republicans. It seems that 53,000,000 voters last November choose the democratic candidates and perhaps many more would have done the same had the elections been fair, open and not tampered with. Republicans and their leaders have divided this nation pitting neighbor against neighbor, fathers against their sons, mothers against their daughters, friends against friends, workers against their co-workers, corporations against their employees, churches against churches, religions against religions, students against their teachers, on and on and on. A house divided against itself can not stand!

[whistle]

3. Correct, cleaning up pollution and toxic waste costs money...

...and corporations ignore any costs that do not add to the saleability of their products. Without mandatory requirements and stiff fines corporations will never pay for what they consider "unnecessary" expenditures. Look at what strip-mining has done in West Virginia. Repukes will reason that the best people to be setting the environmental regulations are the polluters because they know what can and can not be accomplished feasibly Only problem with that is that the polluters are cost avoiders and anything they consider unnecessary, they make sure they don't incur or they find a way to pass on the cost to somebody else. The polluters will never agree to ways to avoid the pollution they create by dipping into their own profits.

[whathappened]

4. most people

don't even no what they are breathing when they live close to these area's that sprew out these gases , i live up in the northern part of mi. , and when i go down to the big citys , the air burns my eyes and leaves my lungs heavy with this foul air , all the cars and smoke staccks just leave a cloud over these cities that aren't there it seems to the one's who live by them

[izzie]

6. Where are the big business that make money on clean air?

People made millions on taking care of waste so why not here? Like the cars that burn less gas. I bet more are sold world wide than the ones that use a lot of gas. These people are the ones that will be the winners in the end.

[indepat]

7. Corporatism in its finest hour