Who Needs Them?

California Congressman Richard Pombo (CA-11) began his assault on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) today. Pombo is a Republican who has routinely shown his contempt for anything to do with conservation or the protection of the environment. But, Pombo's helpers in this attack on the ESA are a group of Democrats from districts dominated by agricultural interests.

Congressman Pombo's press release lists the Democrats who are signed up to gut the ESA (see below). If any of these scum gentlemen happen to represent your district drop them a note and tell them to you would like to maintain the ESA.

The Sierra Club has a far more comprehensive picture of Pombo's intent than the good Congressman admits in his presser.

"Congressman Pombo's bill is a plan that would rob American children of the natural heritage that is their birthright. It sets principles of conservation that have been around since Theodore Roosevelt was President on their head and turns back the clock to a time when the loss of healthy fish and wildlife populations was considered a reasonable cost of doing business.

A look at Congressman Pombo's staff analysis shows his draft bill would:

1) Eliminate conservation measures on tens of millions of acres of land around the country, the "critical habitat" of endangered species, and prevent such conservation activities in the future.

2) Repeal established conservation measures that prohibit the killing or injuring of hundreds of threatened species such as the Bald eagle.

3) Require the federal government to pay developers, the oil industry and other special interests to keep them from killing or injuring publicly owned fish and wildlife."

It is hard to take much pride in being a Democrat when you have to share the lable with people like these:

Mr. Dennis Cardoza (CA-18)
Mr. Marion Berry (AR-1)
Mr. Mike Ross (AR-4)
Mr. Joe Baca (CA-43)
Mr. Bennie Thompson (MS-2)
Mr. Jim Costa (CA-20)

These guys are supported by big agricultural interests. Any surprise they want to gut environmental policy?