New Federal Government Attack On Economic Recovery!

by

Dave Harbour

Late last week the President and his Administration, supported by a well-briefed cohort of environmental activists, launched a new offensive against the country's economic recovery.

The Administration's new "one-two" punch against the Nation's economic recovery, began on Thursday (October 31) at the National Press Club as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell unleashed a salvo of extremist environmental talking points, along with a "secretarial order" and threats to further restrict uses of public lands.

Phil Taylor of E&E Reporter said Jewell will be recommending designation of national monuments under the Antiquities Act, hiring more youth in her environmental programs, and, "balancing energy development … with …. mitigation".  

Taylor also reported that the Secretary spent the night in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) this past summer, saw 29 polar bears and proclaimed that all of the 19 million acres should, "remain off-limits to drilling" (presumably, even the Dulles Airport sized area Congress already classified for that purpose, the so-called 1002 area).

The troops were ready to respond.  According to the E&E article:

  • "She rightfully pressured Congress to get moving on conservation."  –Brian O'Donnell, Conservation Lands Foundation.
  • "We agree with Secretary Jewell…."  Gene Karpinski, League of Conservation Voters.
  • "…strongest statement to date supporting conservation values of the public lands her department manages."  Ellis Richard, Park Rangers for our Lands.
  • "Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall…praised Jewell…."
  • Jamie Williams, Wilderness Society, said Jewell's pledge to get mitigation concessions from energy was a, "wise step".

That was the "one" punch.

The "two" punch occurred the next day, Friday, November 1, when President Obama signed a new executive order establishing a political task force of mostly partisan leaders  to manipulate a policy for climate change in America.  

That Executive Order is entitled, “Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change,”  and directs federal agencies to:

  • engage with local governments in water management and other ‘climate-resilient investments’, and
  • manage lands and waters for climate preparedness and resilience, and
  • provide information, data and tools for climate change preparedness and resilience, and
  • plan for climate change related risk.

On top of his Executive Order on zoning the oceans to further restrict and regulate human activity, and new executive orders to come dealing with ‘monument’ designations, this new order pretty much gives the Administration a blank check to work with environmental activists and political constituencies.  It enables the Administration to employ environmental activists and expand environmental programs at the expense of wealth generating activity that would have been provided in certain areas throughout the country by private enterprise.

No one should wonder why America is experiencing no economic growth and why the government has created a $17 trillion debt for our children to repay.  Private jobs are under attack and wealth is being redeployed to beneficiaries that have supported or who will come to support their generous bureaucratic benefactors–and vote to keep them in office.

At some point, perhaps in the not too distant future, the country’s economy will have passed a point of no return and be so fettered to an economic death spiral that it can only recover after experiencing total capitulation.

As we said recently, it is more evidence of a self inflicted wound that is, truly, "Made In America".