"I prayed that my enemies would make themselves look foolish, and my prayers were answered" - Voltair.
![[Cong_Baker]](../Pols.gifs/BillBaker-CalH10.gif)
Bill Baker turns green?
Well, B.B. must have a mole inside the Times. Our household received a letter from Mr. Baker Friday, Oct 16th, dated Oct 12, reprinted in its entirety below. We don't have a cancellation date since it was sent under his franking privelage (in other words, you and I paid for the postage and a lot more). Note that this is a targeted mailing, sent probably because some environmental organizations have recieved contributions from the recipient. I am printing it here not as a service to him, but to warn you what we will be up against next year. This man would probably attempt to paint oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge as an park improvement! This is a perfect example of why we must go one on one with the voters.
From our current Congessional (un)Representative: Bill Baker (on Congressional letterhead):
Dear Mrs. ...:So, you see what we are up against! This is a carefully crafted and narrowly targeted letter. Note that the impression cast by the document is in its entirety false, being completely contrary to his actual recorded votes, public statements, endorsors and sponsors; yet there is no sentence in the letter to point to that can be proven to be such an outragous lie as is the whole. Each word has been carefully placed to mislead the naive reader. In this case the whole is a greater lie than the sum of its parts. We are armed, however, with BB's voting record. Lets hoist him by that petard!As you and I share a dedication to our environment, I want to dispell the myths surrounding the priority the new Congress has placed on environmental protection.
It is crucial that Congress work to prevent pollution, preserve our natural resources and the integrity of our public assets, control waste disposal, and fight all exploitation of our environment. Thes principles are embodied in the "Environmental Bill of Rights," and I am committed to their implementation through effective public policies. While it is regrettable that some have used environmental issues for political purposes, I have pledged to wade through partisan politics and focus my energies on protecting the environment.
I oppose any retreat from our efforts to clean-up the environment. We must do all we can to guarantee a healthy envionment for future generations. States and local communities need to be given both the authority and flexibility to make established environmental policies work. In 1993, Environmental Protection Administrator (EPA) Carrol Browner identified the great frustration felt in state governments with burdensome federal guidelines:
When I worked at the state level, I was constantly faced with rigid rules that made doing something 100 times more difficult and expensive than it needed to be. It makes no sense to have a program that raises costs while doing nothing to reduce environmental threats.The new congress has responded to Secretary Browner's call for flexibility. However, the changes she has advocated have been criticized on a purely partisan level. Our nation's natural resources should not be the subject of ongoing political wrangling.
One of our central environmental priorities is pollution prevention. In working to maintain effective clean water policies and overall anti-pollution efforts, we have established strict standards. While we rely on local communities to find the most effective solutions to environmental problems, Congress is providing $4.8 billion for the EPA in 1996 to oversee adherence to these standards.
Congress has also maintained federal funding of most of our national parks and wildlife areas at 1995 levels in order to preserve our national heritage. On a personal level, I have continued my effort to provide incentives to businesses and communities to establish and maintain wetlands areas. Currently, I am working to secure increased funding for wetlands projects so that Congress can join local community members in playing a greater role in wetlands and natural heritage preservation.
I have used my postion on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science Committee to conserve our natural resources by controlling waste. I have integrated my activities on both committees to call for alternative fuel and energy efficiency research. Further, I succeeded in preserving $25 million for the Bay Area to continue to seek creative solutions to our energy and pollution problems. Once again, I believe that we must encourage local government's inventive responses to our environmental needs.
Finally, you should know that I support steps to reduce general environmental exploitation by making thouse who damage the environment directly responsible for environmental cleanup. Under the Superfund Reform plan just introduced, we have streamlined the way major polluters are identified, and have enabled companies to provide funds to begin cleanup. Under the current plan, polluters have been embroiled in lawsuits and have not paid for site cleanup. The reform plan will force responsible parties to pay their fair share, but will not punish those who have not contributed to a site's environmental damage.
Our plans to improve our nation's environment start with you. We believe that by establishing guidelines local governments can follow, those who are most affected by environmental regulations can decide how best to implement them. While providing ample EPA guidence, we will look to our communities to preserve our environment while providing for both prosperity and environmental stewardship.
I hope you will join me in our efforts to preserve our precious natural resources. As I continue to work to improve the quality of the environment, please feel free to contact me to share your thoughts on this vital issue.
Sincerely,
Bill BakerMember of Congress.