Great Lakes Budget Cuts and a "Lie of Omission"

David Helf: Wisconsin Point, Lake Superior ~Enlarge

A couple of things to think about this week...

...the Great Lakes Restoration Budget.

The President's FY2011 budget was released last week and it reduces funding for Great Lakes restoration from $475 million to $300 million.

Remember, President Obama had pledged $5 billion for restoration and the $475 million was considered a down payment with subsequent year funding expected at similar levels. Well, things change and the executive branch is now dealing with the practical and political realities of the deficit, and the Great Lakes don't exist in a vacuum. Thus the cut.

I'm not so concerned about the reduction to $300 million and here's why.

The two greatest restoration needs for the Lakes are to upgrade sewer systems to prevent the dumping of sewage into the region's lakes and rivers during storm events, and to stop the introduction of aquatic invasive species.  Neither of which are likely to be impacted by the budget cut.

Upgrading the sewer systems is a $13 billion infrastructure project that was never a part of the President's restoration initiative, that money comes (in smaller amounts) from another account. Getting a handle on invasives is not primarily a financial issue, it's regulatory and one that requires the political will to enact and enforce regulations.

There are certainly many worthy projects where the $300 million will be put to good use, but I wouldn't push too hard to increase it. Let's cut the adminstration some slack on the Great Lakes budget. Now's not the time to ratchet up the pressure.

..... and tough criticism for the feds from Eric Sharp at the Detroit Free Press.

A recent Sharp column came down hard on the federal agencies responsible for the Asian Carp "debacle." He says the "government agencies don't have a clue as to how great the threat from the carp is"... and how angry large numbers of people are...."

Then this.

Sharp says the Army Corps of Engineers made a decision to "lie by omission" when it didn't disclose that Asian Carp DNA was discovered in Lake Michigan until after the Supreme Court issued its ruling to not order the locks closed.  He continues by calling for everyone involved in the decision to lie to be fired.

If the DNA results were held back, I'd also fire those who knew but didn't say anything.

And here's something to consider. As the Outdoors Writer, Sharp speaks for and to a segment of conservationists who historically haven't aligned with big government projects like Great Lakes restoration. Yes, in recent years some hunting and fishing groups have jumped on the bandwagon, but that support could wane if they feel they haven't been getting the straight story by agencies who want their trust and support. The same agencies responsible for the restoration initiative.   

All of those agencies involved in the Asian Carp "debacle", as Eric Sharp calls it, should remember that once public trust is lost, it's very difficult to get it back.

gw

Here's the link to Eric Sharp's column.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100207/SPORTS10/2070479/1356/SPORTS/Feds-...