If you ever wonder why people are cynical about government and don't want to get involved, then all you have to do is look at what the U.S. Department of Interior is trying to do with 200,000 comments on a new endangered species proposal.
According to the Associated Press, the proposal would exclude greenhouse gases and the advice of federal biologists from decisions about whether dams, power plants and other federal projects could harm species. That would be the biggest change in endangered species rules since 1986.
A team of 15 Department of Interior employees is being given 32 hours to review the 200,000 comments. Breaking that down, that would mean they would have to look at 6,250 comments an hour or seven comments per minute by each member.
That is obviously almost impossible, at least if you are trying to give people who took the time to comment on the proposal and their ideas a fair shot at being heard. It makes it look as though requesting public input was just a legal formality with decision makers having no intention of actually listening to citizens.
No matter how you stand on this issue, people who took time to participate deserve better than a cursory look. Is it any wonder folks don't trust their government any more and that environmentalists can't wait for Bush and his cronies to get out of office.
According to the Associated Press, the proposal would exclude greenhouse gases and the advice of federal biologists from decisions about whether dams, power plants and other federal projects could harm species. That would be the biggest change in endangered species rules since 1986.
A team of 15 Department of Interior employees is being given 32 hours to review the 200,000 comments. Breaking that down, that would mean they would have to look at 6,250 comments an hour or seven comments per minute by each member.
That is obviously almost impossible, at least if you are trying to give people who took the time to comment on the proposal and their ideas a fair shot at being heard. It makes it look as though requesting public input was just a legal formality with decision makers having no intention of actually listening to citizens.
No matter how you stand on this issue, people who took time to participate deserve better than a cursory look. Is it any wonder folks don't trust their government any more and that environmentalists can't wait for Bush and his cronies to get out of office.
posted by Tom @ 3:10 PM |
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