So, I got a letter today from President Obama. About a month ago, on my "Ramblings #2" post (http://taiwantotexas.blogspot.com/2011/02/ramblings-2.html), I mentioned that I wrote to the President about my concerns over hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). This is the response I got, which I also included in the "comments" section on the original post:
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Dear Ken:
Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans concerned about environmental issues, from recycling and pollution control to the well-being of our national parks and wildlife. I appreciate your perspective.
America's natural resources and landscapes are among our Nation's most precious treasures. We have an obligation to be responsible stewards of our environment and to protect these resources for future generations.
My Administration is taking action to protect and restore our land, water, and air. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I signed in 2009, provides funding for hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater infrastructure construction, and projects that improve our Nation's parks and wildlife refuges. In March 2009, I also signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation. It designates thousands of miles of trails under the National Trails System, protects more than 1,000 miles of rivers, and secures millions of acres of wilderness.
As individuals, we can all take steps to reduce our impact on our environment. Americans can walk, bike, and use public transportation; buy products with less packaging; recycle and reuse paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum; and teach young people about environmental preservation. Families can save money by purchasing energy-efficient products, turning off lights, and unplugging appliances. These small changes in our daily lives help build a cleaner, safer planet. To learn more about our environment and how you can make a difference, I encourage you to visit www.epa.gov or www.WhiteHouse.gov. For more information on ground water and drinking water, please visit: water.epa.gov/drink. To learn about America's Great Outdoors Initiative, visit AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov or read my 2010 Great Outdoors Month proclamation.
Thank you, again, for writing.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
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Obviously, it's very easy to see that Obama didn't read my letter. A staff member, who has to go through thousands of emails like mine each day, probably just saw the topic of my email, realized it was about the environment, and then sent me this pre-prepared letter. No mention of the actual topic that I was writing about, which was "fracking."
Do I expect anything more? Of course not. Obama has a lot more to worry about (like the economy), than my frustrations with a lax environmental policy.
Obama seems to be following a similar route that Bill Clinton did. He started off with some major progressive ideas, then either gave them up completely, or watered them down to appease the GOP. The wars are still going on. More money is going to defense, while education is being cut left and right. There is 0% chance of ever having "single payer" health insurance. Guantanamo Bay is still open. The criminals of Wall Street remain unpunished. We may as well have a Republican as president right now, because Obama doesn't seem to be that much different.
In November of 2008, the American people knowingly voted for a progressive liberal because we wanted change. Where did that guy go?
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Dear Ken:
Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans concerned about environmental issues, from recycling and pollution control to the well-being of our national parks and wildlife. I appreciate your perspective.
America's natural resources and landscapes are among our Nation's most precious treasures. We have an obligation to be responsible stewards of our environment and to protect these resources for future generations.
My Administration is taking action to protect and restore our land, water, and air. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I signed in 2009, provides funding for hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater infrastructure construction, and projects that improve our Nation's parks and wildlife refuges. In March 2009, I also signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation. It designates thousands of miles of trails under the National Trails System, protects more than 1,000 miles of rivers, and secures millions of acres of wilderness.
As individuals, we can all take steps to reduce our impact on our environment. Americans can walk, bike, and use public transportation; buy products with less packaging; recycle and reuse paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum; and teach young people about environmental preservation. Families can save money by purchasing energy-efficient products, turning off lights, and unplugging appliances. These small changes in our daily lives help build a cleaner, safer planet. To learn more about our environment and how you can make a difference, I encourage you to visit www.epa.gov or www.WhiteHouse.gov. For more information on ground water and drinking water, please visit: water.epa.gov/drink. To learn about America's Great Outdoors Initiative, visit AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov or read my 2010 Great Outdoors Month proclamation.
Thank you, again, for writing.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obviously, it's very easy to see that Obama didn't read my letter. A staff member, who has to go through thousands of emails like mine each day, probably just saw the topic of my email, realized it was about the environment, and then sent me this pre-prepared letter. No mention of the actual topic that I was writing about, which was "fracking."
Do I expect anything more? Of course not. Obama has a lot more to worry about (like the economy), than my frustrations with a lax environmental policy.
Obama seems to be following a similar route that Bill Clinton did. He started off with some major progressive ideas, then either gave them up completely, or watered them down to appease the GOP. The wars are still going on. More money is going to defense, while education is being cut left and right. There is 0% chance of ever having "single payer" health insurance. Guantanamo Bay is still open. The criminals of Wall Street remain unpunished. We may as well have a Republican as president right now, because Obama doesn't seem to be that much different.
In November of 2008, the American people knowingly voted for a progressive liberal because we wanted change. Where did that guy go?
