The Right fighting EPA entitlements...

Rick Perry Watching out for his health.

I know that the Conservative Right's agenda is to destroy the EPA. I know this because pretty much the entire battalion of those running (and some not running yet) have made it obviously clear. While the majority have called for its destruction and some only want to limit its abilities, there seems to be an almost religious fear of the organization from the Republican leadership.

The decided hot button issues are the economy and jobs and what is better to get everyone on your side than a common enemy? So "the leading Republican candidates are all linking environmental regulation to jobs and the economy, suggesting that the nation cannot afford measures that impose greater costs on businesses and consumers." here the EPA becomes the common enemy and the current thinking is whichever candidate can beat their verbal sword against the EPA loud and violent enough they will get the opportunity to run against Obama.

But why the EPA? An organization whose mission is simply; "...to protect human health and the environment" which has had major success over the years. The major arguments seem to be that the EPA is a "job killer" and that they are just "another bloated useless agency." It seems very interesting that on one side you have Rick Perry who;

1. has been described as W. Bush "on steroids"
   
2. doesn't believe in Climate Change
3. holds public prayers for rain and an end to EPA restrictions
   
4. is in a battle between his state and EPA air quality standards/Greenhouse Gas regulations.
   

and on the other side you have Michelle Bauchman who, well, wants to "repeal" the EPA:



yet still wants to request funds and projects from the agency.

According to various sources, the agency's budget is only around $8.973 billion, which is a drop in the hat of the Trillions that we are in over our heads. With a huge joblessness problem already in effect, how wise is it to add another 18,000 to those ranks which is NOT including any contractors, part-time employees or vendors that are dependent on the EPA.

Though various right-wing entities (like the Institute for Energy Research) have bawked at them there are various reports that show how the the EPA and its regulations and other actions are actually job creators. One specifically interesting is from the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and yet the long term benefits are overlooked by those who only see the short term.

We have already learned that entitlements don't have any merit unless they pertain to you, but hopefully it wont come to the point where we can't breathe our air or can't let rain touch us for us to realize the importance of an agency whose function is to look out for our health, sustainability and natural resources.