How a Child Cleans Up The Bay: I'll Do It Tomorrow

Is anybody ready for democracy? Egypt says it is ready for democracy. Libya might want some democracy in its life too. Whether or not those countries are able to establish stable democratic governments they should take one lesson from the United States: we just can’t get anything done.

The freedom of choice in government is just the bee’s knees, but it comes with some interesting results. Don’t get me wrong, I am not some subversive. I love democracy. I fully appreciate the power that my vote has in electing policy makers and steering the direction that our government takes. I just wish that the wheels on this democratic jalopy turned.

The thing that makes me throw my hands up in the air and ask “The hell with it” is the way the way our government manages to act like first grader.

Remember the first grade? That was about the time when a world of sports, music lessons and any other number of interests bombarded your previously simple world. Do you really want to play basketball? It doesn’t matter because your dad signed you up for it. Suddenly basketball isn’t cool and playing the guitar is all you want to do. Then mom and dad are out buying you a new guitar, meanwhile you decided that being an archaeologist is all you want to do. Then, the guitar sits in the corner gathering dust while you watch hours of Indiana Jones and realize you just want to be a Ghostbuster.

Maybe I am speaking from personal experience, but there is a striking parallel here between the erratic decision making of a child and the actions our government makes. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency has been ramping up its for months.

It has been considered a divisive and aggressive strategy to improve the health of the bay and back in December it seemed to be a step in the right direction. Then the new Congress came to Capitol Hill in January and the budget cuts began.

Congress cut funding for the EPA which will inhibit the agency’s ability to move forward with its bay pollution plan.

“I want to play guitar now, dad.”

“Well son, playing the guitar would be a great talent, but we don’t think it would be fiscally responsible at this time to invest in your future.”

Not only does this decision stop the plans to clean up the bay, it also makes the EPA more ineffective in monitoring other environmental threats that will affect Marylanders. The New York Times  has been reporting the dangers of recycled waste water from natural gas fracking in Pennsylvania on the drinking water.

Fracking is the practice of pumping water and chemicals into the ground to free up natural gas. It is an alternative energy source to oil and is the hottest venture on that front. The issue is that the waste water from this practice can make its way into our drinking water.

In a story from February 27, the New York Times reported that the waste water, which contains corrosive salts, benzene and the radioactive element radium is sent to plants not equipped to treat it and it is discharged into rivers—which are used for drinking water and feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

The EPA is already not doing enough to monitor this environmental problem and with budget cuts it definitely will not be able to make much headway in regulating this dangerous waste water.

So there it is. Our leaders decide they want to be a scientist on Monday and by Wednesday they just want to be a bunch of cowboys. Our government’s decision making paradigm is no better than that of a seven-year-old.