According to Rick Moran at The American Thinker, 'The Donald' has rolled up his sleeves, made a few practice swings with the axe and is poised to take an almighty chunk out of the American National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He intends to chop 17% off their budget which will eliminate most of the programmes dealing with so-called 'global warming'. Mr. Moran quotes Politico:
Among the satellite programs facing the largest cuts is the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, which houses climate and environmental information through the National Centers for Environmental Information. Researchers in that program have studied the continuing rate of global climate change. Another would be the Sea Grant program, which currently supports university research programs at 33 institutions nationwide.
The proposal highlights the Trump White House’s continued effort to undermine environmental research funding and regulations.
Since taking office President Donald Trump and his administration have moved swiftly to push back against the environmental agenda, repealing Clean Water Act protections for wetlands, proposing significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and considering roll backs for President Barack Obama’s signature climate change regulations.
One is tempted to holler out something like - go git 'em, boy! - but, like Mr. Moran, I am somewhat cautious. Somehow, in some way, I can't quite equate the Trump administration with subtlety, it just 'ain't their thang!' The giant Environmental Agency with its constant abuse of powers does need to be cut back but given the range of their activities, some of which, like extreme weather watch, are absolutely essential, it might be wiser to use a scalpel than an axe. Apart from any other reason, those eye-ball swivelling 'Greenies' who make up much of the work force will be more than happy to direct the cuts at essential items and thus bring down the government.
Sometimes you need to show 'em the chain saw first. Then offer the scalpel later. Message sent. The EPA has become a den of abusive Leftist mischief like too many other Federal agencies. If the chain saw is needed, well, they were warned. Much swamp to drain.
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 04 March 2017 at 16:04
The EPA is the outfit who declared western land that got occasional puddles after an infrequent rain were "wetlands." They are probably the folks who declared a bait fish "endangered" in order to cut off water to California farmers, pushing up food prices for all of us. In the name of environmentalism, we now have "low-flow loos," that have to be flushed ten or more times to pass out solid product, saving water, don't you know.
Trump is using the meat-ax approach, setting the media to running with their buckets of outrage, only to arrive and find he's already burned up the straw men, and the snail darter is not extinct, and vegetable prices have come down, and farmers have prospered. (And the coal-carriers are made to look foolish.) It's working pretty well, so far.
Posted by: Michael Adams | Saturday, 04 March 2017 at 16:19
I agree with Michael, this is a job for a yuge chainsaw. If the Prez only has a scalpel, it will never get done.
Posted by: Timbo | Saturday, 04 March 2017 at 19:58