Monday, February 11, 2019

SCOTUS: Two Steps Forward: Breathing and the Environment Pushed Back!


Less than one week after SCOTUS upheld Obamacare and recognized the Constitutionality of  gay marriage, the Supreme Court’s Conservative majority  blocked one of the Obama administration’s most ambitious environmental initiative, an Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation meant to limit power plant mercury emissions  and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants?!?!?


The limits would have translated into a $37 billion to $90 billion in heath savings and the prevention of 11,000 premature deaths due to the effects of exposure to mercury and other pollutants.

The corporate interests snag is - big money power entities would have to dish out a $9.6 billion price tag implementing the emissions rules.

Writing for the Republican majority, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: It is not rational, never mind appropriate to impose billions of dollars in economic cost [on big oil interests] in economic costs in return for a few dollars in health or environmental benefits!?!?

Since when did corporate interests trump -no pun intended - the health of the American people and the protection of America's environment?

Oh, right…

Since SCOTUS’ Republican Citizens United decision determined that corporations are people too!?!?!

NOTE: Citizens United gave corporations and unions the green light to spend unlimited sums on ads and other political tools, calling for the election or defeat of individual candidates - along with the subsequent control of those candidates who are elected]! (See The Citizens United decision and why it matters link below.)

This is what happens when Republican presidents and Republican congressional majorities place right wing activists justices in the Supreme Court.

Votemout!

SOURCES
New York Times - 2 days ago

The Supreme Court Just Stopped the EPA From Making the ...


Citizens United | OpenSecrets

www.opensecrets.org/.../citizens_united.ph...

www.publicintegrity.org/.../citizens-united-dec...




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