Another admission of GOP hush-up

Let's see, there's the arm twisting of Nick Smith on the Medicare bill, and then the admission by actuary Richard Foster that he was told to shut up about the real cost.

There's also the revelation that EPA officials were told to shut up about the level of toxic pollutants in the air in New York City just after the WTC attack.

Now, according to Progress Report, the LA Times is reporting that EPA staffers were told to bypass scientific research when making policy regarding mercury levels in the environment.

According to the LA Times, "Political appointees in the Environmental Protection Agency bypassed agency professional staff and a federal advisory panel last year to craft a rule on mercury emissions preferred by the industry and the White House, several longtime EPA officials say." Instead of making independent decisions concerning mercury regulations, "EPA staffers say they were told not to undertake the normal scientific and economic studies called for under a standing executive order. At the same time, the proposal to regulate mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants was written using key language provided by utility lobbyists." According to John A. Paul, the regulator from Ohio who co-chaired the EPA-appointed advisory panel, "The administration chose a process 'that would support the conclusion they wanted to reach.'"

What a crooked bunch. It's mind boggling. I mean, is there any point on which this administration isn't corrupt?

I happened to turn on the tube this morning and caught the end of a National Press Club conference held by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. They were saying the same thing about how the EPA under this administration had decided what industry required in the way of (non)regulation and proceded to make their policy to fit. I didn't hear anything about EPA staff being told to ignore proper procedure for ruling on research studies, but that may have come earlier in the program.

Maybe this is some more of the reason Christie Whitman resigned from the EPA. Unfortunately, she didn't have the guts or integrity to blow the whistle. (There's some question as to whether she was complicit in the WTC pollution cover-up.) She just quit. And that's the route so many take. Until people are willing to stand up against the corruption, it will continue. I know that's asking a lot in many cases. In fact it may be asking people to risk their lives, not just their livelihoods. But I'm asking it. I think it's that important. The harder part would be in asking them to risk their families welfare, but that would be a family decision, and again, I'm asking that they take the risk. If enough people would do so, there wouldn't be a risk to telling the truth. And the risk to not telling it affects millions of families.

I'm not at all convinced a Democrat administration would be a great deal better when it comes to corporate corruption, but one can only hope. And continue to expose this kind of crap no matter who sits in the Oval Orifice.

What a sham our government is.

And what a shame.


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