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Obey calls for bipartisan support of environment

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
It takes both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to protect the environment, according to Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau.

"You can't get anything done in politics that lasts unless it has bipartisan support," Obey said.

Obey emphasized that point when he was in town Saturday, April 15, to give the keynote address at the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He was also honored as an "Outstanding Contributor" to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's College of Natural Resources at Rendezvous 2000, which recognized students, faculty, alumni and friends of the college.

If only bills supported by one party are passed, they'll be overturned when the other party comes to power in Congress, Obey said in a telephone interview last week.

"Then you're yinging and yanging the country from one sideline to another every two years," he said.

As the top ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Obey has played a key role in keeping anti-environmental riders off budget bills.

"There are some times in history you can do a lot of great things positively, but there are some times in history when you simply spend a lot of time keeping bad things from happening," Obey said.

The anti-environmental riders would have been devastating, he said. The riders would have drastically reduced air quality, removed 50 percent of wetlands from federal protection and eroded community right to know standards on what toxic chemicals are used at area factories.

Those riders came from the Republican whip, Tom DeLay of Texas, Obey said. Before DeLay was elected to Congress, he was a pesticide applicator.

"He once staged an event to show that DDT wasn't dangerous by drinking some," Obey said.

The Republican Party's concern for the environment has lessened as the party has shifted to the south from the Midwest and New England, he said.
"Even under Dick Nixon, you were able to pass legislation expanding environmental laws," Obey said. "We got some very good things done."

While former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is no longer in Congress, his impact remains.

"When Newt came to power… he was even more interested in transforming the Republican Party than he was in transforming the Congress… and his main interest was removing the influence of Teddy Roosevelt and returning it to William McKinley," Obey said.

Obey ranks Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, as one of the three greatest presidents, because T.R. was a strong conservationist and fought against the trusts and robber barons of his time.

Some strong Republican supporters remain in Congress, like John Porter of Illinois, who will receive the Ansel Adams Conservation Award from the Wilderness Society this year, Obey said.

Obey will also receive the Ansel Adams Conservation Award this year. It is presented to a current or former federal official who has shown a strong commitment to environmental protection and fostering a land ethic. Past winners include Democrats Gaylord Nelson, George Mitchell, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter, and Republicans Bill Roth and the late John Chafee.

Another concern Obey has about the environment is global impacts, such as toxic chemicals "wafted" into the air in other countries ending up in Lake Superior.

"The biggest threat to the world's environment is China," Obey said. "We entered the industrial age and we abused the environment… We're big, fat and sassy and prosperous as a country today, and China and countries like it say they have a right to pull a chair up to the prosperity table."

China is basing its economic expansion on using "dirty coal," Obey said. Poverty stricken countries in Africa and South America are cutting down rain forests.

"(Rain forests) dramatically affect the climate and they also dramatically effect the composition of the atmosphere," Obey said. "We are really playing Russian roulette with the future of the system that sustains us."

Three early members of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission, Haskell Noyes, William J.P. Aberg and E.M. Dahlberg, were inducted into the hall during a ceremony at Sentry Theater. The Hall of Fame opened in 1985 and is housed in the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center.

Obey's efforts helped the CNR recently receive a $2.15 million grant given to the college through the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). The grant, which will be administered over the next several years, will enable the college to remain at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning.



	Obey calls for bipartisan support of environment By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette It takes both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to protect the environment, according to Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau. "You can't get anything done in politics that lasts unless it has bipartisan support," Obey said. Obey emphasized that point when he was in town Saturday, April 15, to give the keynote address at the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He was also honored as an "Outstanding Contributor" to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's College of Natural Resources at Rendezvous 2000, which recognized students, faculty, alumni and friends of the college. If only bills supported by one party are passed, they'll be overturned when the other party comes to power in Congress, Obey said in a telephone interview last week. "Then you're yinging and yanging the country from one sideline to another every two years," he said. As the top ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Obey has played a key role in keeping anti-environmental riders off budget bills. "There are some times in history you can do a lot of great things positively, but there are some times in history when you simply spend a lot of time keeping bad things from happening," Obey said. The anti-environmental riders would have been devastating, he said. The riders would have drastically reduced air quality, removed 50 percent of wetlands from federal protection and eroded community right to know standards on what toxic chemicals are used at area factories. Those riders came from the Republican whip, Tom DeLay of Texas, Obey said. Before DeLay was elected to Congress, he was a pesticide applicator. "He once staged an event to show that DDT wasn't dangerous by drinking some," Obey said. The Republican Party's concern for the environment has lessened as the party has shifted to the south from the Midwest and New England, he said. "Even under Dick Nixon, you were able to pass legislation expanding environmental laws," Obey said. "We got some very good things done." While former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is no longer in Congress, his impact remains. "When Newt came to power… he was even more interested in transforming the Republican Party than he was in transforming the Congress… and his main interest was removing the influence of Teddy Roosevelt and returning it to William McKinley," Obey said. Obey ranks Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, as one of the three greatest presidents, because T.R. was a strong conservationist and fought against the trusts and robber barons of his time. Some strong Republican supporters remain in Congress, like John Porter of Illinois, who will receive the Ansel Adams Conservation Award from the Wilderness Society this year, Obey said. Obey will also receive the Ansel Adams Conservation Award this year. It is presented to a current or former federal official who has shown a strong commitment to environmental protection and fostering a land ethic. Past winners include Democrats Gaylord Nelson, George Mitchell, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter, and Republicans Bill Roth and the late John Chafee. Another concern Obey has about the environment is global impacts, such as toxic chemicals "wafted" into the air in other countries ending up in Lake Superior. "The biggest threat to the world's environment is China," Obey said. "We entered the industrial age and we abused the environment… We're big, fat and sassy and prosperous as a country today, and China and countries like it say they have a right to pull a chair up to the prosperity table." China is basing its economic expansion on using "dirty coal," Obey said. Poverty stricken countries in Africa and South America are cutting down rain forests. "(Rain forests) dramatically affect the climate and they also dramatically effect the composition of the atmosphere," Obey said. "We are really playing Russian roulette with the future of the system that sustains us." Three early members of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission, Haskell Noyes, William J.P. Aberg and E.M. Dahlberg, were inducted into the hall during a ceremony at Sentry Theater. The Hall of Fame opened in 1985 and is housed in the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center. Obey's efforts helped the CNR recently receive a $2.15 million grant given to the college through the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). The grant, which will be administered over the next several years, will enable the college to remain at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning.