The 2008 election was supposed to be a transformative event for America. For environmental organizations like NWF, it was a chance to lodge our complaints with politicians who shot us down at every juncture – when they noticed us at all. When the nation finally chose Barack Obama, we were one of many groups celebrating the opportunity for real change. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was one of the victories for those of us who supported the Obama campaign.
As the years have worn on, there has been increasing pressure from certain legislators to cut environmental funding. The usual suspects have targeted environmental spending on the Great Lakes, aiming to allow the GLRI to expire at the end of the fiscal year.
It’s a reminder of how political victories are temporary. At this stage there are members of Congress who would vote to put a stop to federal restoration of salmon fisheries in Lake Ontario. The same representatives who talk about tightening the pursestrings would insist on maintaining enormous tax loopholes for oil companies engaged in hazardous drilling, even after watching the Deepwater Horizon disaster unfold in the Gulf.
Early in the 20th century, salmon were so common in Lake Ontario that enterprising fishermen would catch them by the barrel. That’s not the case anymore. Now we have congressmen who would rather give the barrels to British Petroleum and blame fishermen for getting in the way.
Some legislators still see the environmentalist community as an easy target for budget cuts. The only way we change their mind is to make our presence known. Take this opportunity to contact your representatives and urge them to support the passage of GLEPA. With midterm elections coming up, it’s time for us to fire back.
