NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/talk/environm/3310

Internet Message Format | 1992-08-20 | 4.1 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Patrick J. McGuinness)
Subject: Re: Gore Calls for a Real Environmental President
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Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 23:52:25 GMT
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In article <w06ma=[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Alan F. Perry) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John Sims) writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Richard Crisp) writes:
>>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Nigel Allen) writes:
>>>>Press release from the Clinton/Gore Campaign.
>>>>
>>>> Gore Calls for a Real Environmental President
>>>> To: National Desk, Political and Environment Writer
>>>>
>>>>   LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Aug. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a
>>>>statement of Sen. Al Gore:
>>>>
>>>>  [Gaseous emissions deleted]
>>>
>>>Now this is very interesting. Here we have the VP candidate telling
>>>us we need an environmentally conscious president. I find it very
>>>ironic that Bill Clinton's home state, Arkansas, has rivers polluted
>>>with chicken feces and yet Bill is tooling around on private jets
>>>owned by the company doing the polluting! So the Republicans are
>>>protecting the polluters instead of the people? Hogwash!
>>>
>>>This Gore guy sure is good at exposing the fact that his boss-hopeful
>>>is talking out of both corners of his mouth!
>>
>>Not too surprising, though.  I grew up in the Tennessee valley area.
>>The TVA runs a coal-fired electricity generating plant on the river,
>>about 10 miles from my mom's house.  The environment hasn't fared very
>>well, with lots of the forest being damaged by SO2, ash, etc.  Uncle
>>Albert doesn't seem to care enough about the environment to clean up
>>his own back yard, especially when TVA is one of the larger employers
>>in the area.
>
>OK, let me explain a little bit about how things work in this country.
>
>Al Gore is a U.S. Senator representing the state of Tennessee.  As such,
>he has NO control over what goes on in Tennesee.  A U.S. Senator can only
>pass laws for the Federal government.

This is hilarious (or sad, depending on how you look at it).
"NO control" over home-state affairs?
Over placements of highways, military bases, defense contracts,
University grants, environmental regulations regarding home state
industry, tax breaks for local businesses, *Saving and Loan regulation
and enforcement*.???

I get your point, but your talking theory of Government, not practise.
Senators and Congressmen have ways of influencing the behavior
of the Federal Government in their home State that goes far beyond
merely passing legislation. (Otherwise known as micromanaging the
Executive branch.)

>But let's pretend that he could pass laws for the state of Tennessee.  If
>this were true, he would still have to convince others in the legislature
>to vote with him.

Logrolling. Happens all the time.

>If the majority of the lawmakers in Tennessee saw the
>political dangers of voting against the TVA, it would be very hard for
>someone (like Gore) to get legislation passed to clean things up.

What political dangers? We've started on DoD environmental cleanup,
why not more DoE cleanup? What makes the TVA politically different
from say the Rocky Flats situation? TVA should be as responsible
as a private utility, if not more so, right?

>P.S. as a side issue, I am sure the original poster actually knows how things
>work and just ignored it to make his point.  However, I have seen an
>incredible number of postings from people who don't have a clue about how
>our government works.

Yeah, I hear ya. :-)  Blame it on MTV. .... or C-SPAN! :-)

Pat