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Folks: Once upon a time former Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen was
quoted as saying about the federal budget “a billion here, a billion
there, and suddenly you’re talking about real money.” Maybe the reality in At the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Environmental
Quality yesterday morning that wake up call came through loud and clear.
Top management at the DEQ were unavailable to attend the hearing because they
are in critical meetings to decide what parts of the department to shut down in
the face of the continuing failure to resolve the real and growing budget
disaster. Take your pick: would you prefer having your water further contaminated,
your toxic waste uncleaned up, your air quality even worse? My first pick -- stop issuing ANY new permits of any sort, and
put any meager funding there is entirely into enforcement. Quality of
life is what drives investment -- and we can’t go back and undo the
damage of much of the pollution in this state, we can’t give back health
to people who were harmed, and clean ups never really restore natural rivers or
lands entirely. Actually, my first pick is to have see leadership emerge
that actually comes up with real solutions to the tailspin John Engler started
us on many years ago. Let us hope that this crisis can build the backbone
the people of this state need our leaders to have. Anne ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anne M. Woiwode, State Director, Sierra Club 517-484-2372 fax 517-484-3108 -- anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org Sierra Club Michigan Chapter celebrating our 40th
Anniversary on September 9, 2007 Visit us at http://michigan.sierraclub.org/index.shtml Act Today: Join our Legislative Alerts System! http://mackinac.sierraclubaction.org
Act FOR Tomorrow: Support the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter -
contact Wendi Tilden at wendi.tilden@sierraclub.org
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