Uprooting Davis is dangerous for the environment

Joan Irvine Smith

In the three decades following the Civil War, when lands of the

public domain in the south and federal holdings in the west were

opened to settlement and their natural resources of timber, minerals

and soil were exploited by unbridled private enterprises, the

American conservation movement was born.

Today, we face a far greater threat to our natural resources than

at any other time in history. For more than two years, President

George Bush has waged a blatant and relentless assault on the

environment by rolling back laws and regulations enacted by

presidents as far back as Theodore Roosevelt, which have long guarded

the nation’s air, water and public lands.

California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer stated in the Los Angeles Times

on Jan. 27 that defending California’s environmental protections

against a broad assault by the Bush administration has cost the state

millions of dollars and will force his office to shift resources from

fighting pollution.

Lockyer further states that “President Bush’s “pro-business”

environmental policies have threatened regulations governing

everything from offshore drilling and toxic cleanups to forest

management and air quality. Protecting natural resources and

environmental laws from the federal government’s roll backs and

attempts to preempt state enforcement will be one of the biggest

single environmental challenges. Resources that should be used for

prosecuting polluters will have to be diverted to fighting the

federal government.”

If you care about protecting our natural resources, do not recall

Gov. Gray Davis. He believes, as I do, that we can have a strong

economy and a clean environment. The small group of radical

right-wing Republicans, headed by Rep. Darrell Issa -- a

gubernatorial hopeful who instigated and funded this action -- has

the same “pro-business” policies being forced on this nation by the

Bush administration.

This recall election, which is costing California taxpayers

millions of dollars, is not just about our besieged governor, whose

administration has been severely impacted by deep federal spending

cuts compounded by an energy crisis manipulated by Bush

administration cronies such as Enron. It is also about our

progressive, democratic governmental agenda, which includes a woman’s

right to chose, education, health care, safety and environmental

protection.

Before we remove Davis from office, we need to see this recall

election for what it really is: An attempted coup by a small group of

radical Republicans to take control and dismantle our California

state government, just as Bush stole the presidential election in

2000 and his administration is currently dismantling our federal

government.

* JOAN IRVINE SMITH is an environmentalist and great granddaughter

of Orange County land baron James Irvine.