My Word for April 30, 2001

Vice Pres. Dick Cheney today launched the administration's big push to gear up energy production in the United States...

Cheney warned in a speech in Toronto that the situation in California could be visited on every American in every state.

Last week, a prominent New York Democrat — Sen. Chuck Shumer —  warned that we might be facing six-dollar-a-gallon gasoline in the next decade unless we press forward on an energy policy.

Democrats and Republicans are in agreement that we have an energy shortage.

Democrats like to stress conservation. Republicans like to stress production.

They're both right.

But, watch out. As Pres. Bush tries to open small parts of federal land to oil and gas production, the environmental lobby is going to start screeching, and spewing... trying to scare you into believing Bush wants to spill oil from sea to shining sea.

When you hear this stuff, or you get a fund raising mailer from one of the big environmental organizations, remember the series published last week in the Sacramento Bee ... an investigation which concluded the major environmental groups in this country are more interested in raising cash that saving the planet.

The Bee called these groups "Environment Inc.", and said:

"Money is flowing into conservation in unprecedented amounts... reaching 3.5 billion in '99, up 94 percent from '92. much of it not actually used to protect the environment... instead going to bureaucratic overhead, fundraising, including expensive direct mail and telemarking consultants.

Those who know the environment best... scientists... say environmental groups often twist fact into fantasy to serve their agendas. A 1999 report by the GAO found that 39 million acres across the West are at high risk of catastrophic fire. Yet many groups use science selectively to oppose thinning efforts that could reduce fire risk."

Remember last summer? When the entire West was on fire? The Bee says it was the fault of "Environment Inc."

And now ... "Environment Inc." is going to go after Bush and his plans to make this country less dependent on foreign oil. They're already screaming rape of the environment.

Remember who is doing the screaming — people who watch the checks roll in everytime they call Bush a polluter.

And remember that today we import 50 percent more oil than we did during the last oil crisis. It's time somebody did something about that.

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