When I was growing up, my father was the soft touch when it came to asking to do just about anything. My mother, on the other hand, was the grand inquisitor. So, of course, if it came to anything really, well, controversial, we would wait until mom left to go grocery shopping and dad was squirming in his chair in front of the TV where the Cubs were up to bat with two outs, the winning run on third and the count at three and two. Then, while running out the back door, we would shout: “Hey, dad, we’re going to take your Blazer, cram about 10 of our friends in it and then drag race down Thatcher Avenue and party in the forest preserves until 3 a.m. or the cops kick us out.”
OK, so that’s not exactly what was said. But you get the idea. And the basic strategy worked pretty well, if we could get out of the house before the Cubs struck out. Of course, eventually mom would come home, find us out, and everyone would get yelled at, including dad. Oh, did I mention usually I was grounded and sent up to my room to study?
I only bring this up because I’ve figured out that’s what President George W. Bush is doing when it comes to the Arctic Refuge. While distracting us with all sorts of things like bloated color-coded terrorism threats and seemingly non-existent weapons of mass destruction, he’s trying to sneak through a provision to open up this pristine wilderness to his oil energy buddies.
Look for it to happen this month during something called the budget reconciliation process, which is expected to come up for a vote in mid-September. By doing it this way, Bush can avoid a filibuster led by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and his environmentally minded colleagues, which they had used to protect the Arctic Refuge.
But I’ve come up with a much more effective strategy. If Bush wants to act like an irresponsible high school student who is only interested in tearing up the wilderness with his friends, then that’s how he should be treated.
For starters, Bush should be sent straight up to the Lincoln bedroom, where he should be forced to hit the history books and read up on former U.S. Presidents, specifically Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was the general who led the Allies to victory in Europe in World War II, and it was his administration that began looking at the North Slope of Alaska as part of a government survey of potential conservation areas. Scientists concluded that the undisturbed northeast corner of Alaska afforded the best opportunity for protection. Apparently, Bush, who has only a controversial National Guard service record, thinks he knows better than one of our country’s bona fide war heroes, who, incidentally, also was a Republican.
And while we’re on the subject of Republicans who think this is a bad idea, Bush should brush up on civics and current events by reading this Associated Press report by By H. Josef Hebert:
WASHINGTON — Two dozen House Republicans, including three committee chairmen, have asked Speaker Dennis Hastert not to use a congressional budget procedure to clear the way for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
They said in a letter to Hastert, R-Ill., that the budget process “is an inappropriate venue to be debating this important environmental issue ….
“We believe the debate on opening this unique land to oil and gas exploration should be done outside the budget process,” said the group led by Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H. … Among those signing the letter were three committee chairmen: Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y.; Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and Government Reform Chairman Thomas Davis, R-Va.
Then, Bush might try brushing up on his math and logic by writing an essay explaining why destroying one of the last pristine places on the planet is a good tradeoff in exchange for what is only “a six-month supply of our nation’s energy needs,” according to Durbin.
Finally, Bush should be sent to sit in a corner until he has grasped the kindergarten concept of sharing. The federal government already has access to about 95 percent of the North Slope. But Bush wants to let his oil industry buddies have access to the remaining 5 percent, the part that belongs to you and me.
To get involved, call 202-628-1843 or visit www.savebiogems.org or www.AlaskaCoalition.org.
— Marla Donato