Remember this?
…Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country, while dramatically improving the environment. I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home. I have sent you Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70-percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years. I have sent you a Healthy Forests Initiative, to help prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife, and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest.
I urge you to pass these measures, for the good of both our environment and our economy. Even more, I ask you to take a crucial step and protect our environment in ways that generations before us could not have imagined. …
If you do remember this portion of last week’s SOTU, you cleary have far better recall than fearless leader. In the 2007 budget, Mr.Bush abandons his statements above. Apparently he figures that the average American has the attention span of a spoon, and likely isn’t taking note of the 2007 budget anyway. After all, SOTU was a whole week ago.
Instead, the 2007 budget goes in the opposite direction, adding to expenditures that were to be reduced according to SOTU statements.
The Wilderness Society stated that the President had abandoned a decade-long commitment to protecting public lands.
Despite the President’s acknowledgement of America’s “addiction to oil,” in his State of the Union address, the budget assumes the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge will be leased to oil companies for $7 billion, the conservation group said.
The budget also proposes an unprecedented $46 million boost in funding for the Bureau of Land Management oil and gas program – from $88.9 million appropriated in FY 2006, to $135 million requested for FY 2007 – $12.4 million of the increase is for Alaska North Slope activities, both in the Arctic Refuge and elsewhere. The BLM estimates that it will process nearly 12,000 drilling permit applications in 2007, up from 3,892 processed five years ago.
Even some Republicans were disappointed by the budget. The group Republicans for Environmental Protection stated its dissatisfaction in no uncertain terms.
Republicans for Environmental Protection said President Bush’s inclusion of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling revenues in his proposed 2007 budget “grossly contradicts the call in his State of the Union speech to reduce America’s addiction to oil.”
“The administration’s speedy retreat from the president’s oil addiction statement and the assumption of Arctic Refuge oil drilling in the president’s budget make it clear that when it comes to oil, this White House is more about getting a fix than fixing our energy problems,” said REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins. “The rhetorical bait-and-switch illustrated just how much control that big oil interests have over the president’s agenda.”
Whew, somebody better get these guys a copy of the relevant Republican talking points. These contrary Republicans go further and actually look to the best interests of the country. < gasp >
“Let’s hope that in a challenging election year, Congress will reject the president’s special-interest energy agenda and actually pursue the public’s best interest,” Jenkins said. “To retain control of Congress, our party must move beyond a shortsighted energy agenda designed to prop up oil industry profits. It must pursue more forward-thinking energy solutions that protect the American people.”
Special interest agenda?!! Best interests of the public?!! Radical talk from Republicans.
