The attack on the E.P.A.

WWII caused my father to marry a little later in life. He was 27 when I was born. My parents eventually had four children.  We never had a lot of money but they both worked hard and built a new home in a housing development when I was 8yrs. old. We always took vacations to Lake Erie each year. My family would rent the same cabin in a campground near Cedar Point.  The campground had its own private beach that we loved to use. Each morning we would get up and go swimming with our inner tubes.  Later in the week we would spend the day at Cedar Point.

We took these vacations in the late 50’s through the early 60’s.  I remember on morning when we woke up early and took a walk down the hill to the beach only to see the owners in the process of picking up hundreds of dead fish that washed up on their beach each and every night. That is when we learned that something was wrong with the water in the lake.  This ended our annual vacations to the near dead lake.

In 1969 the main river in Cleveland, the Cuyahoga, caught fire. Although it was not the first time, this fire caught the attention of the national press. There's little doubt of the effect that the last fire in 1969 had. Many credit it as being a catalyst for Congress to finally pass the Clean Water Act in 1972 and for the creation of agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.

The clean water act lead to the start of the EPA’s best years. This agency was started in 1970 and helped pass legislations to clean up our water, and air. Because of the EPA Lake Erie was not only cleaned up but was returned to a clean body of water again.  The EPA has made the USA the overall cleanest industrialized nation in the world per GDP with the strictest overall environmental laws. This has contributed (among other things) to a large increase in life span. Here is a list of accomplishments the EPA is credited for:

1970 Clean Air Act,

EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are charged with protecting children's health through lead-based paint prevention activities,

EPA bans use of DDT,

 Limit raw sewage flowing into the nation's rivers, lakes and streams,

International Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement,

EPA begins the ban that will phase out all use of lead in gasoline,

 EPA, issues its first permit limiting a factory's discharges of pollution into waterways,

1974 Safe Drinking Water Act,

EPA bans two herbicides containing dioxins,

These are all in the 70’s I could go on and on but the point being the EPA has regulated a safer America for our children to live.

Another example is that in 1995 the EPA accomplishments by the EPA has led to  Two-thirds of the U.S. metropolitan areas with unhealthy air in 1990 have now met air quality standards, making the air safer to breathe for 50 million Americans in major cities such as San Francisco and Detroit.

I broach this subject today because of the story of Cancer and poison water in Camp Lejeune, and the cover up, for the last 50 yrs. This was showed o MSNBC and called Semper Fi. Watch it if you have the chance. I did last night and shed a tear or two.

I also write about the EPA today because it is under attack by the Republican Party today. All of the Presidential candidates want to eliminate this agency because they see it as a hindrance to the growth of Capitalism (MONEY).

They fail to mention that Bush (41) used Cap and Trade to reduce the effects of Acid rain. Ever hear about that today?  No because this program works.

Republicans are more interested in discussing subjects like birth control, religion, citizenship and President Obama, and his so called factorable treatment of Muslims.  Please focus on the facts. This party, and its candidates, are concerned about one thing and one thing only.  That would be deregulation of laws that limit the responsibility of corporations to make money unfettered by regulations that keep citizens safe from harmful practices.

The Republicans decry big government but that is a hoax. Under their leadership Government has grown 60%. Under President Obama is has shrunk. The only big Government the Republicans are interested in are the agencies that regulate safe practices for our citizens. The rest is all crap.  It took years to make our country safe for our children. Do we really want to reverse regulations that keep our air and water safe? 

Wake up and study the facts. If you think your Republican leaders care about you just watch the special on the marines being aired on MSNBC.

Vote for canditates that talk about real issues that will effect your grandchildren and their future. If not then I suggest you spend money on a good water filtration system and breath as little air as possible !