Early Christmas: EPA Hemorrhaging as Anti-Trump Employees Quit by the Hundreds

[Markinsa]

Early Christmas: EPA Hemorrhaging as Anti-Trump Employees Quit by the Hundreds

BY BEN MARQUIS 
DECEMBER 23, 2017 AT 2:53PM

 

Aside from the great news in time for Christmas regarding the passage of tax reform and a rapidly improving economy, Newsmax just shared more good news in relation to the downsizing at a certain government agency in dire need of being reduced.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency has long been viewed by conservatives as having become bloated and politicized, and were involved in far more things via overbearing regulations than simply ensuring Americans had clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

 

The New York Times recently lamented that more than 700 disappointed and discouraged employees had left the agency since President Donald Trump took office.

 

Those 700 former EPA employees represent roughly one quarter of the 3,200 employees the Trump administration hopes to let go in its attempt to reduce the agency’s personnel by 20 percent.

 

Of those who have quit, retired or accepted buyout packages to step aside, the Times reports more than 200 of them are described as scientists, another 96 were “protection specialists,” nine were department directors, and dozens more were attorneys and various program managers.

 

The best part of all — in our view, though obviously not in the view of The Times — is that the vast majority of these departed employees are not being replaced, and many of their positions are simply being eliminated.

 

Trump’s criticisms of the agency, as well as the change in focus by new EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, have led to lower morale and an increase in grievances among the largely liberal workforce.

 

The Times noted that a downward trend at the EPA began during the prior Obama administration due to a tightening of the agency’s budget by the Republican-controlled Congress.

 

With Trump and Pruitt in charge, that trend will likely accelerate downward even faster.

 

But the hemorrhaging of employees from the EPA doesn’t mean work at the agency has ground to a halt. An agency spokesman said they are now doing “more with less” to accomplish their goals of protecting the environment.

 

“With only 10 months on the job, Administrator Pruitt is unequivocally doing more with less to hold polluters accountable and to protect our environment,” said EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox.

 

As to the notion put forward by critics that Trump and Pruitt are purposefully attempting to push out experienced experts, researchers and knowledgeable scientists — “a departure in the mission” of protecting public health, so to speak — Wilcox also pushed back on that.

 

“People from across EPA were eligible to retire early with full benefits,” Wilcox said in an email. “We currently have over 1,600 scientists at EPA and less than 200 chose to retire with full benefits.”

 

 

In reality, the loss of employees at the EPA is simply part of the administration’s proposed plan to cut the agency’s budget by upwards of 31 percent, according to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.

 

“You can’t drain the swamp and leave all the people in it,” Mulvaney said. “So, I guess the first place that comes to mind will be the Environmental Protection Agency.”

 

 

Meanwhile WAGM-TV in Presque Isle, Maine, reported that state Attorney General Janet Mills had joined with those from 13 other states to demand in a letter to Congress that they cease the “deep and damaging” funding cuts for the embattled agency, decrying that further cuts would be detrimental to the state’s public health, environment, tourism industry and economy.

 

It is worth pointing out that the proposed budget cuts for the EPA by the House and Senate for Fiscal Year 2018 are far smaller than those proposed by the Trump administration — $650 million and $150 million, respectively, as opposed to $2.4 billion — but the states are still crying nonetheless.

 

Furthermore, though not explicitly spelled out in the letter from the coalition of state attorney generals, the threat of a potential lawsuit to prevent further budget cuts is implied by the fact that it was the AG’s sending the letter, and not a coalition of state EPA directors.

 

However, while liberals lament the downsizing of the EPA, conservatives can let out a cheer inasmuch as it has become a fairly solid general rule that anything viewed by liberals as bad for the EPA is in the end a good thing for America and freedom as a whole.

 

Please share this on Facebook and Twitter to let everyone know about the flood of employees exiting the EPA since Trump took office that are not being replaced.

[Muleslayer]

A bonus!

self draining swamp!

[captl1]

Thanks Mark. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[DinarDavo]

12 hours ago, Muleslayer said:

A bonus!

self draining swamp!

 

HA !!!  Beat me to it Muleslayer !   Merry Christmas to you and yours!   

[Muleslayer]

11 hours ago, DinarDavo said:

 

HA !!!  Beat me to it Muleslayer !   Merry Christmas to you and yours!   

Back atcha sir!

[new york kevin]

To those leaving the EPA in droves ... BA - BYE . My hope is that after the fat leaves the EPA, the fat will leave the IRS.

[Shabibilicious]

I have no doubt that there are EPA hating citizens of this great land who look forward to once again squatting over a storm catch basin and dropping a deuce......See a hole, fill a hole.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[new york kevin]

1 hour ago, Shabibilicious said:

I have no doubt that there are EPA hating citizens of this great land who look forward to once again squatting over a storm catch basin and dropping a deuce......See a hole, fill a hole.  

 

GO RV, then BV

Shabbi, Shabbi, Shabbi . You epitomize the divisiveness that plagues the USA as we speak by demeaning  people that do not share a view point . "EPA haters", while I believe the EPA was weaponized and used to beat down the economic prowess of our nation. Aiding the exit of 75,000 companies to offshore address during the Obama Presidency. Regulating the amount of silt a creek on a farm makes. I do not hate the EPA, we need the EPA, we do not need a politicized EPA . The USA is a great land, how is life in Italy.

[Shabibilicious]

7 minutes ago, new york kevin said:

Shabbi, Shabbi, Shabbi . You epitomize the divisiveness that plagues the USA as we speak by demeaning  people that do not share a view point . "EPA haters", while I believe the EPA was weaponized and used to beat down the economic prowess of our nation. Aiding the exit of 75,000 companies to offshore address during the Obama Presidency. Regulating the amount of silt a creek on a farm makes. I do not hate the EPA, we need the EPA, we do not need a politicized EPA . The USA is a great land, how is life in Italy.

 

Kevin, you should not misconstrue a generic comment about no specific person to be a divisive personal attack on any given individual.  You're a smart cookie and obviously have the capability of understanding that a simpleton's mind prodded by anti-EPA propaganda will come to hate such an organization because of a lack of complete knowledge of what said organization stands for, that being clean air, clean water, as examples.  Simply dip your toes in algae bloom waters western Lake Erie in the summer months and you might actually understand the need to buffer the poisons being spread on America's farm ground.....or the enormous financial burden municipalities incur from the water treatment process because they haven't taken the steps to separate storm and sanitary sewers.  As always, just some basic facts.  No disrespect intended, simply my opinion as a fan of clean drinking water from Mother Earth (the ball shaped one). 

 

As far as life in Italy, I've never been.....but authentic Italian food on a daily basis sounds positively delightful. 

 

GO RV, then BV 

[new york kevin]

My friend, what you said is not as generic as you suggest. Most algae blooms in this Lake are due to an excessive use of artificial fertilizers. Everyone that agrees with me want what the EPA  stands for which is clean air, clean water, and clean land, and to stay within those guidelines in a non-politicized manner.   Yes, the EPA was weaponized during the Obama Administration. Just look at how  it was used to exercise the preliminary muscle behind the promotion of Carbon Taxes ,a money grab for the cash in the pockets of the common man. A warped EPA whose research is being pointed to by Gov Jerry Brown in Cali to promote taxing each Californian a tax/fee for each mile they drive in their personal car. See how farmland in California shrank  as the EPA vehemently defended the cutting off of irrigation waters in central California's farmland to save a rare fresh water minnow but not allowing a alternative canal design that would  save the minnows population and feed said farms with life giving water. We are not far off in our thinking me thinks, just on how to arrive at the point we each point towards. I was thinking about Umbertino when I made my statement about Italy.  Sorry. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and yours.  Now  I work to loose that 10 pounds I gained. Pray for me.

 

[Shabibilicious]

52 minutes ago, new york kevin said:

My friend, what you said is not as generic as you suggest. Most algae blooms in this Lake are due to an excessive use of artificial fertilizers. Everyone that agrees with me want what the EPA  stands for which is clean air, clean water, and clean land, and to stay within those guidelines in a non-politicized manner.   Yes, the EPA was weaponized during the Obama Administration. Just look at how  it was used to exercise the preliminary muscle behind the promotion of Carbon Taxes ,a money grab for the cash in the pockets of the common man. A warped EPA whose research is being pointed to by Gov Jerry Brown in Cali to promote taxing each Californian a tax/fee for each mile they drive in their personal car. See how farmland in California shrank  as the EPA vehemently defended the cutting off of irrigation waters in central California's farmland to save a rare fresh water minnow but not allowing a alternative canal design that would  save the minnows population and feed said farms with life giving water. We are not far off in our thinking me thinks, just on how to arrive at the point we each point towards. I was thinking about Umbertino when I made my statement about Italy.  Sorry. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and yours.  Now  I work to loose that 10 pounds I gained. Pray for me.

 

 

Thank You, Kevin and same to you and yours.  Be aware though, treadmills don't run on prayers.     And I do believe we are basically on the same page with respect to the EPA.  

 

GO RV, then BV 

[new york kevin]

8 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

treadmills don't run on prayers.   

Are you sure, they might run on prayers.

[Shabibilicious]

10 hours ago, new york kevin said:

Are you sure, they might run on prayers.

 

Pretty sure they're powered by bad decisions  

 

 

GO RV, then BV

[new york kevin]

14 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Pretty sure they're powered by bad decisions  

 

 

GO RV, then BV

Hey I never gave them permission to film that, let alone to post it on line. Golly. One positive, when I ... ahh  ahh ... that guy flips over ,the stomach doesn't appear as huge as it appears in the mirror.