(NNPA)—It is much, much worse than I could ever imagine. Environmental extremists have always been a worthy foe to progressive business leaders and entrepreneurs. They have fought growth and industrial expansion at every turn. I thought they were doing it as some sort of save the earth mantra or as a policy of turning away any chance of more carbon emissions into our air and other pollutants in our soil and water. But after 20 years of contending with them I conclude that it is about something very sinister. They want to end America as it stands today. They want this nation transformed into a service society. That’s right—they want to kill off our industrial might and manufacturing prowess.
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They, under the current administration, have embedded themselves into four federal agencies. They don’t care what the American people or Congress has to say about issues. They are fanatically bent on having their way and their way is the economic destruction of our everyday society. In the past, we would debate and have energetic interchange on Capitol Hill about various environmental issues. We would win the Kyoto Protocol issue, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards , the Waxman/Markey Bill (Cap and Trade). Our (the business community) track record runs about 90 percent victorious. But winning or proving our point no longer matters in this arena. If the environmental extremists can’t win through legislation, they will now march on anyway through hideous rules or stall tactics or the promotion of lies and disinformation. They are doing this from the Department of Interior, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of State.
The Department of Interior has lessened the supply of oil by freezing the permitting of new wells and exploration. You feel the affects of this as you fill up your gas tanks. You will also feel the affects of higher grocery prices and the shutting down of manufacturing plants. Yea, that’s the way they want it. Higher prices should cause less usage and the industrial might of the United States will fade into the sunset.
The Department of Energy is assigned to “chase windmills.” Like Don Quixote in the play, they are seeking mythical challenges like solar energy companies that don’t really work and those ugly windmills populating our countryside providing a “teaspoon” of our energy needs. This agency is wasting trillions of dollars that taxpayers have entrusted in them. It is a waste and their gimmicks are hurting our economy not helping it. But they don’t care.
The Department of State is assigned the task of stepping in and stopping any progressive trade issue that may have international implications. Such is the Keystone XL pipeline that will route a serious amount of needed oil to America from Canada. The State Department is blocking it even though we need this oil and the jobs it will create. They just don’t care—America must shrink now according to the zealots.
Then, there is the biggest economic blocker of all—the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is hatching rules and coming up with findings that are reigning pure hell on the industrial core of America. We stopped the Cap and Trade Bill in the US Senate but they don’t care. They are writing rules that, in effect, implement the tenants of Cap and Trade. They have implemented the MATS Rule (Mercury and Air Toxic Standards) for our utility plants. What they are targeting is our coal powered utilities plants. The end game is to kill the demand for coal and cause the closing of our coal mines. We are looking at millions of jobs and a tripling of our energy bills. To close our plants and mines while China opens a new coal mine per week doesn’t change anything. It is not about cleaning the world’s air; it is about hurting the American economy and shrinking our influence on the rest of the world.
There are 32 utility plants targeted. They are: Alabama—Mobile, Jasper, Birmingham, Stevenson, Tuscumbia, Gaston and Greene County; Georgia —Cartersville, Kraft and Macon; Indiana—Gallagher, Lawrenceburg, Cayuga and Yankee Town; Illinois—Baldwin; Mississippi—Watson; Florida—Tampa (2) and Crist; Kentucky—Drakesboro; Ohio—Brilliant, Beverly, New Richmond, Jefferson County, Wabash River and Conesville; Tennessee—Clinton, Cumberland City, Rogersville and Memphis; West Virginia—Mountsville and New Haven.
This is going to have such a devastating impact on our economy. The pain is so much weighted to Black owned businesses and families that the National Black Chamber of Commerce has filed a suit against the EPA to stop this madness. It is going to be weighted towards minorities as a whole. I find that it is no coincidence that these four agencies are headed by a Black, an Asian, a Hispanic and a White woman. You see in revolutionary engagement you should always have the “perpetrator” mirror the image of the most likely victims. Shouldn’t we be tired of being the victims?
Black America you have been played.
(Harry Alford is the co-founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org. Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.)
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