Kerry Takes on Bush Polluter Pleasers

[sandnsea]

Fighting the fight for 30 years.

November 13, 2003

For Immediate Release
Concord, NH


John Kerry today promised to protect the environment and take on the Bush administration’s cozy relationship with corporate polluters and special interests. Fresh off an appearance on late-night television, Kerry released his own top ten list: George Bush's Top Ten Polluter Pleasers.


1. New roadblocks to improving fuel economy in automobiles. Reducing the transportation sector’s reliance on oil is clearly the key to improving our nation's energy security, yet Bush’s energy plan adds new requirements to the fuel efficiency standard setting process.

2. Does not decrease American dependence on foreign oil. Bush’s energy plan even strips out an agreement supported by Democrats and Republicans to reduce oil consumption by at least one million barrels per day by 2013.

3. Does not include accountability for developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Bush’s energy plan provides billions of research dollars for hydrogen with no accountability for actually developing a fuel cell vehicle or achieving oil savings or pollution reductions.

4. Delays new protections from mercury pollution. Bush’s energy plan delays a new EPA rule that will set mercury thresholds for coal and oil-fired power plants putting public health for children and adults at further risk.

5. Letting polluters off the hook. Bush’s energy plan gives polluters a free pass for contaminating groundwater with MTBE and other fuel additives. This would mean that states and thousands of communities around the country will have no legal means of holding MTBE manufacturers responsible for the massive water pollution they have caused.

6. Rolls back clean air protections. Bush’s energy plan will waive anti-smog requirements in polluted cities that missed clean air requirements.

7. Exempts big oil from the Clean Water Act. Bush’s energy plan includes an exemption of oil and gas exploration and production activities from the Clean Water Act putting our drinking water supplies at risk.

8. Support for dirty energy sources, not renewables. Bush’s energy plan supports more than twice as many direct subsidies for dirty energy sources such as coal, oil and gas, and nuclear as for clean renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal.

9. No incentives to purchase fuel efficient vehicles. Bush’s energy plan fails to provide adequate tax breaks to help consumers buy fuel efficient vehicles.

10. Opening up sensitive lands to drilling by waiving environmental regulations. Bush wants to speed up energy exploration and development at the expense of environmental review and public participation putting our health of our environment at risk.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. This is what Kerry's been talking about while the media only report on

the departure of Jordan.


Gee, what possible reason could the corporate powers-that-be have for protecting polluters? There certainly couldn't be some ulterior motive that explains this...

[Pez]

3. media coverage reflects their own interests (topics and economic)

they cream over gossip... and automatically assume everyone who consumes their schwack is stupid-- which might be because they dumb down the dialogue to the point where someone like kerry can't make a serious speech about policy issues without everyone scratching their heads.

[genius]

2. Kerry's pretty good on environmental issues

Like Kucinich, Gephardt and Lieberman, he opposed Yucca MOuntain. Dean supported it.

[TheReligiousLeft]

4. DU Apocalypse speaks of these Bush Polluter Pleasers

Chapter 4:7-8
"Again he smashed his fist upon the gate. This time a caustic mist came out.
“Go, devour the planet for profit and greed,” he said.
“I shall,” said the mist.
The mist floated above the Great Nation. It ripped trees from the ground, and cried out, “Clean air. Clean air.” It filled the lungs of young and old alike."

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=721542>