Re: apologies for bashed mail message

["Sam McClintock" <scmcclintock@ipass.net>]

  > From: Jon Campbell <jon@cqs.com>
  > But the big picture reveals that they cannot help us
  > to make institutional changes,
  
  MOST cannot make any real changes to law.  But is important to note
  that a FEW actually do make the original draft of any one law or
  regulation.  It is extremely important to identify these individuals
  and cultivate a working relationship so that honest and timely input
  can be provided when new rules emerge.  It will not solve all the
  problems between laws and protection - a lot of problems and changes
  occur after a regulation or law is drafted.  But it starts the process
  on the right foot.
  
  > and the EPA and DEPs
  > are - by policy - decreasing their commitment to
  > environmental protection and finding loopholes in
  > the laws and advising their industrial "clients" to
  > drive trucks through them.
  
  A lot of decreased committment is not due to a lack of will, it is a
  lack of manpower.  The federal and state governments, for the most
  part, continue to slash budgets at a time of conspicuous industrial
  growth.  Not a good combination.  
  
  The loopholes themselves, when they exist, are usually found by the
  consultant or head-guru of the industry, not the regulatory personnel. 
  If constrained by the law, the regulatory personnel have few options -
  they can of course quit - but that means a novice or other overworked
  regulatory person gets to fill in.  Not smart.  And you also have the
  problems of time and loopholes that may or may not be relevant -
  currently, there are not enough regulatory personnel to adequately
  review all material that comes before them.  In the case of air
  quality, this problem will become much worse once the Title V program
  starts to generate the mandated data.
  
  
  > We need to have an alternative strategy that will
  > make institutional changes. Any thoughts will be
  > gratefully received. I have some thoughts of my own
  > which I will share later.
  
  I agree completely.  Not only institutional changes, but institutional
  funding.  It will take a massive, coordinated, short AND long-term
  approach.  The sooner you/we start, the better everybody else will be. 
  
  
  Sam McClintock
  scmcclintock@ipass.net