Hug

The EPA HAS not done anything but make a lot of regulations that has promoted totalitarian government. I have lived in the city and know that city folks know nothing about the problems of rural America.

Cuda2020

You're just parrot squawking with nothing to back up your opinions, they're baseless, full of misguided perceptions and emotion with nothing factual to back it up like I have given you. The EPA working to make Totalitarian government, how ridiculous, a mindless statement when you read the benefit we've been given under their direction, now under Trump many have been TERMINATED, try and comprehend that in itself and you see how absurd your comment is.

jack sequim wa Loc: Blanchard, Idaho

Hey Barracuda,
I believe the key words are "What the EPA used to be".
There is evidence that over the last 15 +/- years the EPA acted outside of Congress and enacted their own regulations as they saw fit.
I may add damaging regulations to both individual's and Business.
During my few years in Northern California the EPA released regulations that allowed California to reclaim hundreds of thousands of acres of land that force several dozens of people off their rural land. As I recall the land was deemed uninhabitable due to drug manufacturing in mountainous areas 15-20 miles away from where these folks owned land and homes.
This was an act of arming the EPA to gain land.
I believe there are many more examples of current day EPA.
What they were and what they became are a disappointment.
Take care,
Jack

Hug

I firmly believe that the EPA was the tool the socialist were going to use to confiscate land and redistribute that land after Hillary was elected and continued the socialist agenda. There are two sides to the story. Urban folks who have nothing invested and know nothing except red lights, sirens and concrete have no way of knowing the environment of rural folks and how the EPA harmed the rural folks. Of course, urban folks will buy the propaganda fed to them by the socialist.

Seth

I doubt that Stalin's propaganda ministry informed the good citizens of Moscow and other large Soviet cities that he was starving Ukrainians by taking all their crops to feed these cities' populations.

More recently, the corrupt (bought by developers) Democrat politicians in California have been systematically "liberating" farmland by raising farmers' water bills until they render farming in certain sectors a lose-lose proposition, the farmers sell their land and lo and behold, along comes another "nice, rural, peaceful, expensive" development in which neauveau-riche "progressives" or well heeled retirees can dwell without having to look at the grim urban-scapes or impoverished lost souls populations they helped bring about via their v**es.

Cuda2020

I don't believe everything the office of the EPA has to be congress approved. I believe they work within their set of rules. I happen to agree with you on them changing and more so now than any other time. Trump has made the office useless. Many have resigned due to it. For most of them, they were people who were there because they believed in the work they did and were there for a just cause. These were people who were working in that office feeling they were doing good. Which is how it should be.

Where has the "EPA" gained property? The EPA is not an entity to hold property, if I'm wrong please show me where. Unless you're referring to the government(USA) gaining property? From who, private citizens?
I agree with you, what they have become is a disappointment, but not the fault of the office rather by who pulls their strings.
One of the first things Trump did was to prohibit the EPA's research on climate to be shut down and not be allowed to publically show their new research. Don't believe me, just go to the first year of Trump in office, maybe even in his first month. Yes, I am an environmental advocate, the earth needs to be considered on all things, it's life.

It's not about being extreme, it is about not trashing it. Some regulations are redundant and they should be evaluated, but not completely taken off the table as Trump has done now with DDT's.

Hug

Thank Heaven a lot of the old EPA bureaucrats have resigned or have been fired. The EPA bureaucrats were always trying to justify their existence when all they had to do was use some common sense and for them, common sense was not possible. Barracuda2020, I know you are well meaning, but you just haven't lived long enough.

jack sequim wa Loc: Blanchard, Idaho

California weaponized the EPA and California State confiscated the land.
Pre-Trump
California is leading the Agenda 21
I am aware of changes under Trump, the weaponizing happened under the Obama administration.

jack sequim wa Loc: Blanchard, Idaho

I'm sure you are aware of this

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/epa-chief-says-he-is-disarming-agency-weaponized-by-obama/

And

http://ppjg.me/2011/05/30/epa-and-corps-plan-to-seize-control-of-all-water/

Cuda2020

Funny I think I have. You post a lot of propaganda and opinion, would you like to back it up with some facts.

Big industry is against all regulations, it's better for profit, just remember they don't give a tick about you, me, or anyone else, it's all just about the money, profit shares, etc, we had someone looking out for us against those that will poison without a single thought of remorse. That's who you're supporting and getting in bed with.

Don't pretend you know me you don't. Assumptions are usually wrong. Age means nothing, wisdom everything, and that is unending and constant...for some.

Cuda2020

What weaponizing under Obama? Please state facts.

One reason the government might be seeking control is to protect it from private industry hoarders like Coca Cola, here's one example in just one of the places. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/19/india.sciencenews

Not to mention foreign entities buying land, big chunks, and have all the free access to what lies beneath. One of our most precious commodities to be lost piece by piece.

Cuda2020

Ya know Jack I don't mind people themselves not believing in g****l w*****g, but when the president works against the efforts of a state by sabotage, and all they are trying to do is promote cleaner air, I have a real problem with that and so do a lot of other people who are trying to make a difference for a better future for the next generations. If generations did this 150 years ago we wouldn't be in the fix we're in now.

It takes a special kind of person to undermine someone else's efforts, and that is Trump, working for his investors. They all want to see a return, including Putin.

Hug

Barracuda2020, What could you possible know about clean air and clean water? You have probably experience some pollution in some major cities from the exhaust from vehicles that hasn't been carried out by the wind, but I am sure you have not experience dirty water and dirty air. You are an urban dweller that just hasn't lived long enough and has no idea what the rural environment is like. All you do is suck up propaganda.

Hug

Barracuda2020, Did you not know that foreign investors provided the money that settled the West. Very few huge ranching operations were owned by American money. Barracuda2020, I certainly don't mean to be rude, but you need to get an education to the 3rd grade level.

straightUp Loc: California

Peewee - farmers haven't been able to do that since the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, when the government first started to subsidize farmers and they've been subsidized ever since. There isn't a farmer alive today that can say he doesn't depend on the government.

The point Barracuda is making is that the subsidies have been increased (by a LOT) under Trump as a direct consequence of his trade tariffs and it's creating more debt for us.

I know you folks are being told that the tariffs will somehow fix the "unfair" trade advantage that you think the Chinese have over us, but so far that hasn't happened. Trump has NOT renegotiated ANYTHING with the Chinese yet. He slaps tariffs on Chinese imports to pressure them into renegotiation but Jinping just does the same thing back and says, "your move". Jinping knows Trump can't go toe to toe with him on this.

The U.S. imports $540 billion in goods from China and China only imports $120 billion from the U.S. THAT is why we have a trade deficit, not because of some "rules" that Trump is going to be able to renegotiate. You can't negotiate your way out of a $419 billion trade deficit. The only thing that can change a deficit that massive is if American people stop buying Chinese stuff and that isn't happening either.

The tariffs are supposed to discourage Americans from buying Chinese but last Black Friday has shown us that it's not working. Americans are just paying MORE for Chinese stuff now.

So now what?

The reason why previous presidents left it up to the market is because they know the government has no business dictating what Americans can buy. Jinping on the other hand, CAN dictate what the Chinese are allowed to buy because it's a c*******t government! Trump has been trying to dictate what Americans are allowed to buy... he banned Huawei and ZTC products for example, but he's not going to be able to push far enough to make a dent in the trade deficit without seriously violating the American principle of a free market.

So, it's a no win situation. Fortunately, it's not one of our bigger problems either. A better president would focus on more serious problems, but Trump doesn't know how to solve serious problems. All he knows how to do is "make deals".