Of course, that might be hard for asthmatics, but hey, survival of the fittest!
President Obama abruptly pulled back proposed new national smog standards Friday morning, overruling the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to compel states and communities nationwide to reduce local air pollution in the coming years or face federal penalties.
The move represented a win for the business community, which had lobbied to postpone new restrictions on ground-level ozone—known as smog—until 2013 in light of the current economic downturn.
In a statement, Obama praised EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s effort to improve the nation’s air quality, but said he had asked her to withdraw the draft standards since they were scheduled to be reconsidered two years from now anyway.
I guess I should note here that it’s utter bullshit, and driven by the apparent decision of Obama’s campaign advisors not to allow anything to happen that might even theoretically be used against them by the Republicans. As if, you know, we won’t notice how many people don’t have jobs.
It’s alway “later” with him….and then you don’t believe it will ever happen. Same with the Bush tax cuts for millionaires. Two years from now he may not be president.
Doesn’t one of his own daughters have asthma?? And haven’t they proved the connection?
Every single blessed day in Atlanta is Code Orange smog alert throughout the summer. The only days it improves are when it rains or gets really windy. And we haven’t had rain for two months.
Obama, the president that Wall Street and the oligarchy loves. Perry and Romney and all the rest don’t stand a chance.
Sold out again. Keeping America safe for more asthma attacks. That’s really the sad part – those most at risk from the “external costs” business foists off on the rest of the population are the young and the elderly. It’s our children and our elderly who are most at risk.
The increases in cases of asthma are real. The Hopey Changey Administration could have chosen to protect the population. Instead, they sell out to Big Money again.
And you can be assured Big Money will be totally unimpressed with still another gift tossed their way by Obama the Sellout. What? Big Business actually do some hiring? Nah.
Big Business will just demand another cave. And they’ll get it, too.
The EPA has been the only bright spot in this administration with some real possibility of advancement here in the coal mining regions, and I have been waiting for that to be snuffed out as the election got closer. In addition to this rule there was also a rule in process to cut emissions from coal burning power plants, and a rule enforcing the EPA’s priority over the Corps of Engineers in making strip mining companies obey the stream buffer rule that would keep them from burying mountain streams with dirt and rock from their mines. Obviously all of this will be dead in the water too.
I alternate between thinking that he has no spine or principles, and that he’s a Republican Trojan horse. Maybe some of both?