EPA and scare tactics... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jplinville · #1 04-26-2012, 07:31 AM

Between this and Hu's comment about not being interested in lowering fuel prices, how can anyone trust the current administration??

EPA Official's 'Philosophy' On Oil Companies: 'Crucify Them' - Just As Romans Crucified Conquered Citizens | CNSNews.com

Quote:

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) took to the Senate floor today to draw attention to a video of a top EPA official saying the EPA’s “philosophy” is to “crucify” and “make examples” of oil and gas companies - just as the Romans crucified random citizens in areas they conquered to ensure obedience.
Inhofe quoted a little-watched video from 2010 of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official, Region VI Administrator Al Armendariz, admitting that EPA’s “general philosophy” is to “crucify” and “make examples” of oil and gas companies.
In the video, Administrator Armendariz says:
“I was in a meeting once and I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement, and I think it was probably a little crude and maybe not appropriate for the meeting, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I said:
“It was kind of like how the Romans used to, you know, conquer villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go in to a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them.
“Then, you know, that town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”
“It’s a deterrent factor,” Armendariz said, explaining that the EPA is following the Romans’ philosophy for subjugating conquered villages.
Soon after Armendariz touted the EPA’s “philosophy,” the EPA began smear campaigns against natural gas producers, Inhofe’s office noted in advance of today’s Senate speech:
“Not long after Administrator Armendariz made these comments in 2010, EPA targeted US natural gas producers in Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.
“In all three of these cases, EPA initially made headline-grabbing statements either insinuating or proclaiming outright that the use of hydraulic fracturing by American energy producers was the cause of water contamination, but in each case their comments were premature at best – and despite their most valiant efforts, they have been unable to find any sound scientific evidence to make this link.”
In his Senate speech, Sen. Inhofe said the video provides Americans with “a glimpse of the Obama administration’s true agenda.”
That agenda, Inhofe said, is to “incite fear” in the public with unsubstantiated claims and “intimidate” oil and gas companies with threats of unjustified fines and penalties – then, quietly backtrack once the public’s perception has been firmly jaded against oil and natural gas.

MS Fowler · #2 04-26-2012, 01:14 PM

Let's not read too much into this. It sounds like the standard rhetoric many dept heads might use to get the message across that they are serious about going after the scoundrels. The way to stay out of trouble is to abide by the law.

retmil46 · #3 04-26-2012, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Let's not read too much into this. It sounds like the standard rhetoric many dept heads might use to get the message across that they are serious about going after the scoundrels. The way to stay out of trouble is to abide by the law.

Agreed. And said Senator isn't exactly a paragon of virtue and without political motives himself.

I'd like to view the videos of the guy's speech and do a little checking on my own, before making a call in this particular instance.

That said, I've been no fan of the EPA's apparent basic atttitude for the past decade or so - they seem to have morphed from their original purpose of making sure the environment was fit for human and other life - and decided that humans themselves were the problem - and now their overriding concern is protecting the environment FROM humans, no matter the cost.

tbomachines · #4 04-26-2012, 01:33 PM

How are they to enforce the law if they don't take action? Whats the alternative to this, complete disregard?

Edit: also that website is embarrassingly bad! Looks like they need more donations coming in at the bottom of every story.

MTI · #5 04-26-2012, 01:38 PM

Put them in front of the Death Panels, I say!

Honus · #6 04-26-2012, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Let's not read too much into this. It sounds like the standard rhetoric many dept heads might use to get the message across that they are serious about going after the scoundrels. The way to stay out of trouble is to abide by the law.

x2

This story about the EPA official's comments illustrates the special brand of political correctness observed by the Media Research Center. You can't mention what the Romans did, even if your purpose is to illustrate a valid point. To even raise the analogy is, apparently, to approve of crucifixion.

MagnumPI · #7 04-26-2012, 01:44 PM

Sheep. The level of acquiescence to tyranny displayed in this thread is sickening.

tbomachines · #8 04-26-2012, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagnumPI

Sheep. The level of acquiescence to tyranny displayed in this thread is sickening.

That's quite a deeply thought out response

Honus · #9 04-26-2012, 01:54 PM

Baaa.

Honus · #10 04-26-2012, 01:57 PM

I love it when scofflaws get all high and mighty about liberty. A restaurant owner in my town decided he was going to make some changes to his building, which is in the historic district. He went ahead with even attempting to get the necessary permits. When the town said, "WTF?", to him, he got all huffy. He even put up a "Don't Tread on Me" flag until he realized that he was alienating about 50% of his potential customer base. He's a knucklehead. So's Inhofe.

Dudesky · #11 04-26-2012, 02:11 PM

Seems the Dems always need a villain to blame......just sayin'.

MTI · #12 04-26-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudesky

Seems the Dems always need a villain to blame......just sayin'.

The manner in which you seem to exempt the entire opposite side of the political spectrum, is in a word, cute.

MS Fowler · #13 04-26-2012, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagnumPI

Sheep. The level of acquiescence to tyranny displayed in this thread is sickening.

Care to elaborate?
Or, does merely tilting at windmills satisfy your need to express your rage?

The EPA may be out of control, and trying to shut down the entire oil industry--but this quote doesn't expose that.