Bush's Pre-War Record Dr. David A. Sprintzen, January 31, 2002 If you get your news from mainstream outlets, it's easy to come to the conclusion that our current Administration has done little other than fight a so-called War on Terror. In fact, before the attacks, Georgie and his boys were busy passing laws, cutting funds, pulling out of treaties and placing old cronies in key posts throughout the government. The following list looks back at the Administration's accomplishments prior to 9-11. Whether you agree with them or not, you need to know what your government is doing in your name:

* Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

* Cut federal spending on libraries by $39 million.

* Cut $35 million in funding for doctors to get advanced pediatric training.

* Cut by 50% funding for research into renewable energy sources.

* Revoked rules that reduced the acceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water.

* Blocked rules that would require federal agencies to offer bilingual assistance to non-English speaking persons.

* Proposed to eliminate new marine protections for the Channel Islands and thecoral reefs of northwest Hawaii. San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 2001

* Cut funding by 28% for research into cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks.

* Suspended rules that would have strengthened the government's ability to deny contracts to companies that violated workplace safety, environmental and other federal laws.

* OK'd Interior Department appointee Gale Norton to send out letters to state officials soliciting suggestions for opening up national monuments for oil and gas drilling, coal mining, and foresting.

* Appointed John Negroponte - an un-indicted high-level Iran Contra figure- to the post of United Nations ambassador.

* Abandoned a campaign pledge to invest $100 million for rain forest conservation.

* Reduced by 86% the Community Access Program for public hospitals, clinics and providers of care for people without insurance.

* Rescinded a proposal to increase public access to information about the potential consequences resulting from chemical plant accidents.

* Suspended rules that would require hardrock miners to clean up sites on Western public lands.

* Cut $60 million from a Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America program for publichousing.

* Proposed to eliminate a federal program designed to help communities (and successfully used in Seattle) prepare for natural disasters.

* Pulled out of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty global warming agreement.

* Cut $200 million of work force training for dislocated workers.

* Eliminated funding for the Wetlands Reserve Program, which encourages farmers to maintain wetlands habitat on their property.

* Cut program to provide childcare to low-income families as they move from welfare to work.

* Cut a program that provided prescription contraceptive coverage to federal employees (though it still pays for Viagra).

* Cut $700 million in capital funds for repairs in public housing.

* Appointed Otto Reich - an un-indicted high level Iran Contra figure - to Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.

* Cut Environmental Protection Agency budget by $500 million.

* Proposed to curtail the ability of groups to sue in order to get an animal placedon the Endangered Species List.

* Rescinded rule that mandated increased energy-saving efficiency regulations for central air conditioners and heat pumps.

* Repealed workplace ergonomic rules designed to improve worker health and safety.

* Abandoned campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2), the waste gas that contributes to global warming.

* Banned federal aid to international family planning programs that offer abortion counseling with other independent funds.

* Closed White House Office for Women's Health Initiatives and Outreach.

* Nominated David Lauriski - ex-mining company executive - to post of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.

* O.K.'d Interior Secretary Gale Norton to go forth with a controversial plan to auction oil and gas development tracts off the coast eastern of Florida.

* Announced intention to open up Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest to oil and drilling.

* Proposes to re-draw boundaries of nation's monuments, which would technicallyallow oil and gas drilling "outside" of national monuments.

* Gutted White House AIDS Office.

* Renegotiating free trade agreement with Jordan to eliminate safeguards for theenvironment and workers' rights.

* Will no longer seek guidance from The American Bar Association in recommendations for the federal judiciary appointments.

* Appointed recycling foe Lynn Scarlett as Undersecretary of the Interior.

* Took steps to abolish the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

* Cut the Community Oriented Policing Services program.

* Allowed Interior Secretary Gale Norton to shelve citizen-led grizzly bear re-introductionplan scheduled for Idaho and Montana wilderness.

* Continues to hold up federal funding for stem cell research projects.

* Makes sure convicted misdemeanor drug users cannot get financial aid for college, though convicted murderers can.

* Refused to fund continued cleanup of uranium-slag heap in Utah.

* Refused to fund continued litigation of the government's tobacco company lawsuit.

* Proposed a $2 trillion tax cut, of which 43% will go to the wealthiest 1% ofAmericans.

* Signed a bill making it harder for poor and middle-class Americans to file for bankruptcy, even in the case of daunting medical bills.

* Appointed a Vice President quoted as saying "If you want to do somethingabout carbon dioxide emissions, then you ought to build nuclear power plants."Vice President Dick Cheney on "Meet the Press."

* Appointed Diana "There is no gender gap in pay" Roth to the Councilof Economic Advisers. Boston Globe, March 28, 2001

* Appointed Kay Cole James - an opponent of affirmative action-to direct the Officeof Personnel Management.

* Cut $15.7 million earmarked for states to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect.

* Helped kill a law designed to make it tougher for teenagers to get credit cards.

* Proposed elimination of the "Reading is Fundamental" program that gives free books to poor children.

* Is pushing for development of small nuclear weapons to attack deeply buried targets-weapons, which would violate the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

* Proposes to nominate Jeffrey Sutton-attorney responsible for the recent case weakening the Americans with Disabilities Act-to federal appeals court judgeship.

* Proposes to reverse regulation protecting 60 million acres of national forest from logging and road building.

* Eliminated funding for the "We the People" education program which taught school children about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights andcitizenship.

* Appointed John Bolton - who opposes nonproliferation treaties and the U.N. - to Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

* Nominated Linda Fisher - an executive with Monsanto - for the number two job at the Environmental Protection Agency.

* Nominated Michael McConnell-leading critic of the separation of church and state-to a federal judgeship.

* Nominated Terrence Boyle - ardent opponent of civil rights - to a federal judgeship.

* Canceled 2004 deadline for automakers to develop prototype high mileage cars.

* Nominated Harvey Pitts - lawyer for teen sex video distributor-to head SEC.

* Nominated John Walters - strong opponent of prison drug treatment programs-for Drug Czar. Washington Post, May 16, 2001.

* Nominated J. Steven Giles - an oil and coal lobbyist - for Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

* Nominated Bennett Raley - who advocates repealing the Endangered Species Act- for Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.

* Is seeking the dismissal of class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. against Japan by Asian women forced to work as sex slaves during WWII.

* Earmarked $4 million in new federal grant money for HIV and drug abuse prevention programs to go only to religious groups and not secular equivalents.

* Reduced by 40% the Low Income Home Assistance Program for low-income individuals who need assistance paying energy bills.

* Nominated Ted Olson-who has repeatedly lied about his involvement with the Scaiffe- funded "Arkansas Project" to bring down Bill Clinton - for Solicitor General.

* Nominated Terrance Boyle -foe of civil rights - to a federal judgeship.

* Proposes to ease permit process - including environmental considerations - for refinery, nuclear and hydroelectric dam construction. Washington Post, May 18, 2001.

* Proposes to give government the authority to take private property through eminent domain for power lines.

* Proposes that $1.2 billion in funding for alternative renewable energy comefrom selling oil and gas lease tracts in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve.

* Plans on serving genetically engineered foods at all official government functions.

* Forced out Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck and appointed a timber industry lobbyist

This list was compiled by Dr. David A. Sprintzen Professor of Philosophy Co-Director, Institute for Sustainable Development C.W. Post College,Long Island.

-- bill (bill@bill.com), January 31, 2002

Answers

and your point is.......?

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Sounds like this administration has already accomplished more in a year than the predacessor did in eight. Good going!

-- charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), February 01, 2002.

Glad to see this list. I didn't realize that he was this prodigous in accomplishing his goals. I'm glad you posted this list. I might have missed it otherwise. May he keep up the good work.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Charlie, I don't know you.

Laura, Bob, are you telling me that you are in favor of ALL this stuff, or only some of it? I'm actually WITH Bush on a few of those deals, but not many.

Overall, don't you see a bit of a pattern here? Like, screw the environment, screw the "regular" people, screw the children, all so we can give give give to George and his rich buddies?

Are you really happy having Him screw you, your kids, and your grandkids? Is that really ok with you two? I think you're funnin' with us!

-- joj (jump@off.c), February 01, 2002.

I saw this and thought about every "normal" person out there who does not have a trust fund or wealthy parents. I thought about the people he is screwing over so he can pay back daddy's friends who helped him get elected. The elder Bush had put so much in Dubya's name. He was the richest Little Leaguer to ever play baseball in Texas. He had a net worth of over 2 million dollars ... in the 50's. I am not against the rich, I am against how they screw us "little people" so they can get richer and screw up our environment.

-- Bill (Bill@bill.com), February 01, 2002.

There are a few things he has done that are okay,imo...but this list sure weighs heavily on the side of "horrid". Easing gentetic modifications of food(!!!!)???? Who could possibly think this is a good idea other than Monsanto etal?

What it shows me is that Shrub is King George the Twooth, and the only thing better than King Bill is that he knows how to keep his zipper in place. My opinion, and frankly, I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not....I'm crabby today.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), February 01, 2002.

Will the conservative Republicans line up over here? LOL....I read the list and am happy with it..less goverment is fine with me..How many farmers lose part of their land because some yuppie like the marsh for egrets? I am sick of years of Clintonites telling me they know better than I about what i want or need. Currently, one of my misguided daughters is on welfare in NJ. (one case in point)..the girl HAS a college degree and two children....the wonderful democrats have so formed the welfare system that God-forbid she whould get a job..get this..they are paying for her to go back to school to be an LPN..did I say she has a college degree?????? Also, they are giving her free daycare for the girls while she completes the 18 month course, AND when this college graduate is done learning a new field, they will pay for the daycare for another YEAR until she gets "on her feet". She is a graphic artist who was making $45K/year...So do I care that Bush, that evil man, has dared to cut the funding for this type of foolishness? I think not. Another case in point, states already have in place heating assistance for seniors, why should the feds need to get in on the act as well. I could go on and on, but mercifully, I will not LOL..Suffice it to say that there are those of us who actually support the lack of government poking it's collective nose into our daily lives,,the more hand-out programs cut, the happier I am.AND, there are those folks who feel just as strongly that the government should be all things to all people at all times...This is why we have elections..aren't they great?

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 01, 2002.

I'd love to have an election instead of a selection...5 to 4 ain't much of a mandate.

(leftist liberal pacifist tree huggers line up over here...)

-- gilly (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 01, 2002.

Constitutionalists line up here!

Bad

* Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

* Appointed John Negroponte - an un-indicted high-level Iran Contra figure- to the post of United Nations ambassador.

* Announced intention to open up Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest to oil and drilling.

* Makes sure convicted misdemeanor drug users cannot get financial aid for college, though convicted murderers can.

* Helped kill a law designed to make it tougher for teenagers to get credit cards.

* Eliminated funding for the "We the People" education program which taught school children about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights andcitizenship.

* Nominated Harvey Pitts - lawyer for teen sex video distributor-to head SEC.

* Proposes to ease permit process - including environmental considerations - for refinery, nuclear and hydroelectric dam construction. Washington Post, May 18, 2001.

* Plans on serving genetically engineered foods at all official government functions.

* Cut a program that provided prescription contraceptive coverage to federal employees (though it still pays for Viagra). ********aside, I BET it still covers abortion.

* Signed a bill making it harder for poor and middle-class Americans to file for bankruptcy, even in the case of daunting medical bills. *********Yet Enron talks won't be revealed to We the People.

* Proposes to give government the authority to take private property through eminent domain for power lines.

* Rescinded a proposal to increase public access to information about the potential consequences resulting from chemical plant accidents.

It sounds to me like he is ALL for big oil, and not for alternatives which is really what this war against terrorism is all about...oil, that is, not alternatives. As to most of the nominations, I seriously think it needs to be addressed on a case by case basis, and I don't know most of these peoples names, much less their histories. The line about blocking stem cell research is a lie. This type of thing...democons, republirats misses the real point...Where is the bleeding Constitution????? What is the government doing in most of this to begin with?

Just because he is rescinding some of the socialist welfare programs does not make the upholding of the megolithic monopolies right....Okay, I'm going home now. Everyone fight nice!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), February 01, 2002.

Wether these things are good or bad is not so much the issue as much as: Is it the job of federal government to perform these things? The answer is NO! What's the job of federal government? National Defense, Interstate travel and trade, foreign relations.

Education, agriculture, parks, environmental concerns, health care, welfare, housing, public health, etc... are important issues, but should be dealth with on a local state level, not a federal level. Why should we send tax money to D.C. only to get cents on the dollar returned with federal mandates and strings attached to it? Are local governments too stupid to figure out how to cope with these issues? I think not. The greatest thing the president can do is make federal government smaller and slash wasteful spending. We can put that money to better use locally.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 02, 2002.

Joe, I am not in favor of much of what this president has done. My opinion is that he is part of the vast left-wing conspiracy, too.

He's a politician, what do you expect!?!?!? He should have personal integrity!?!?!?! He would do the right thing for the American people?!?!?! He's going to screw you, me and everyone else too, as long as it fills the Bush pockets and the political black bags. That's what polititians do!

Thank you Skip for putting it so eloquently. A good president would abolish all these illegal federal departments and taxes and restore the Constitution to the people of the USA.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

Keep up the good work MR.President!

-- Chuck Lowe (Woodsnwater62@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

Ok so how much did he just increase the f***** military budget to!!!!!

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), February 02, 2002.

Well, I think it was 369 billion...and then the "Homeland Security" budget is (get this!) NON EXISTENT. Whatever they want, dahhling, unlimited funding for der ubermenschen. Crazy, huh?

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), February 02, 2002.

I would definitely agree that the federal govt should bow out of a lot of the things you mentioned, Skip. Laura, I'm not a commie. Sorry. I am definitely a "leftist", so please don't call shrubya part of any leftist conspiracy. (I seem to be out of the loop as far as any leftist conspiracy goes, though) As a card carrying lefty, I don't want any part of shrubby.

By the way, would you please not use the word "screw" on this forum? It really makes me blush. It brings to mind the same sort of disgusting, wet, sticky situation as the "f" word.

-- joj (jump@off.c), February 03, 2002.

There is a solution to all this whining, and that is ...

To count all the votes in Florida several more times.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), February 03, 2002.

Only one thing wrong with this whole deal & I'm really surprised nobody picked up on it. Are there any citations and references for any of these "facts"? I doubt the veracity of some of these claims, agree that some are good and find certain ones totally unbelievable.

Remember "Figures lie and Liars figure". Mark Twain I believe.

Simple manipulation of the data is used by both the right and the left to advance adgendas. Check out handgun control inc. and see where they count people as old as 25 under "youth" so as to inflate their #'s.

This kind of BS only makes people pull further apart instead of working together. Look how it polarized you guys so quick.

-- John in S. In (jdoofus@hotmail.com), February 03, 2002.

My appologies JOJ. No offence intended. Next time I'll type out the word that I had to mind; Fathomless.

Sorry if you took it to be something else!

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), February 03, 2002.