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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt's Not Me, It's You: EPA Staffer Quits With Candid Letter to Pruitt
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/07/its-not-me-its-you-epa-staffer-quits-candid-letter-pruittPublished on Friday, April 07, 2017
by Common Dreams
It's Not Me, It's You: EPA Staffer Quits With Candid Letter to Pruitt
'You will continue to undermine your credibility and integrity with EPA staff, and the majority of the public, if you continue to question this basic science of climate change'
by Nadia Prupis, staff writer
"I have worked under six administrations with political appointees leading EPA from both parties. This is the first time I remember staff openly dismissing and mocking the environmental policies of an administration and by extension you." (Photo: Lorie Shaull/flickr/cc)
An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee stepped down after 30 years on the job last week with a letter to EPA chief Scott Pruitt that left no doubt the reason for his resignationPruitt's leadership and the Trump administration.
Michael Cox served as a climate change adviser to EPA's Region 10, covering Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. His resignation comes as President Donald Trump seeks to defund the agency by 31 percent, lay off 25 percent of its employees, and axe 56 programsincluding two that focus on protecting children from leadas revealed by a 64-page budget memo published last week by the Washington Post.
"You will continue to undermine your credibility and integrity with EPA staff, and the majority of the public, if you continue to question this basic science of climate change," he wrote.
Post columnist Joe Davidson spoke with several EPA staffers throughout the country, who confirmed that the mood at the agency was grimso much so that they requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
"It is pretty bleak," said one environmental engineer.
"It's in the dumps," said another.
Cox's letter continued:
[...] Good luck and just remember that EPA staff will respond to leadership that takes into account the science and the opinions of individuals who have devoted their entire lives to fulfilling the mission of EPAto protect human health and the environment.
He outlined eight reasons that morale has plummeted at the agency, including Pruitt's denial of climate sciencewhich he called "surprising, no shocking"as well as the administration's antagonistic tone and "openly hostile" political appointees. Cox's final suggestion to Pruitt was simply, "Please step back and listen to EPA career staff."
flying rabbit
(4,644 posts)nini
(16,672 posts)They are incapable of seeing what is right.
nikibatts
(2,198 posts)by environmental catastrophe.
KelleyKramer
(8,983 posts)There is a huge payday waiting for him when he leaves the EPA
People like Pruitt would poison their own children if the price is right
Sadly, that's what we are up against
atreides1
(16,093 posts)Poison his own children...that way the little prick would be in a cage where he belongs!!!
groundloop
(11,523 posts)Once the EPA is nothing but a ghost of it's former self 45* and his super-rich buddies can pollute as they please and make tons of money doing it.
babylonsister
(171,096 posts)doing via those that speak for him.
brer cat
(24,617 posts)mn9driver
(4,428 posts)The EPA will no longer exist in 4 years. He will see to it.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Hekate
(90,837 posts)Beartracks
(12,821 posts)... "If they're pissing off Democrats/bureaucrats, they must be doing something right!"
Who knows - that could very well be Pruitt's response, too.
====================
sheshe2
(83,933 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,733 posts)I hope the ACLU can help organize and broadcast their arguments.
sellitman
(11,607 posts)His stated goal was to destroy the EPA. He couldn't have picked a better man for the job.
briv1016
(1,570 posts)That's the whole point.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)I am sure that is what Pruitt is thinking.
Dustlawyer
(10,497 posts)shocked at the changes coming. Their families live nearby and these people know what is in those plants. Now it will be in our air and water even more than before. We have a Koch refinery 30 minutes from where i live. Think they are going to be responsible? Deregulation will hit our area hard! I am getting my house ready to sell.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)narnian60
(3,510 posts)and scary.
BSdetect
(8,999 posts)Of course it will effect all of us.
Time to nail them good
mikeysnot
(4,757 posts)Destroy the EPA from within one scientist at a time.
lambchopp59
(2,809 posts)Astonishing levels of deluded behavior from the RW zombies include late facebook posts of how they're succeeding at "destroying liberalism" in America.
Gee, how would that work, exactly?
First, they must dismantle and destroy about 99 percent of colleges and universities, worldwide.
Burn all the books and internet information that doesn't conform to the RW agenda.
And of course, allow the biggest corporations to enslave anyone without millions of dollars. Geez, if only the EPA hadn't been instituted by *gasp* Richard Nixon... we could have completely unbreathable air by now. We'd have polluted the air, land and sea with so much lead that every animal on earth would have turned completely, madly savage by now.
I suppose the few left with enough mental capacity to change the air filters on the Koch brother's mansion might be offered some compensation for the lung cancer all of us would be afflicted with by now. Oh, no, wait a minute, that's too "liberal".
Seafood? What's that? Some useless life forms that died off long ago when the ocean's no longer support life.
And only those with the loudest whips and strong chains can fend of the huddled masses wondering what the fuck went wrong.
I can't even fathom the extent of fallacy the RW'ers have supported under the guise of "make america great again".
That's a good stooge, eat some more of these paint chips.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Would you mind if I do? I'm happy to credit you, or keep your name off.
bora13
(860 posts)This is the new Standard Operating Procedure for all t-rump agencies.
Destroy at all costs.
dchill
(38,547 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)☠️
😭
pansypoo53219
(21,000 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)The Mercers have a quack scientist and they believe Climate Change science is Chinese fake news.
This billionaire family is the main funder for the coup of our government now underway.
Please check out Jane Meyer's Dark Money article in the New Yorker.
GetRidOfThem
(869 posts)Believe it or not, the whole story is different (and worse) than you think.
She is in a very high level position. Pruitt reached out to her. It was a positive encounter, even though they were from totally different political spectrums. She was surprised. Then Agent Orange came up with his budget, which completely contradicted what the administrator said. I.e. they are all puppets. Agent Orange rules. And they (his cabinet) must all fear him.
So must we...
Amaryllis
(9,525 posts)I know Bannon said cabinet heads were chosen to dismantle the agencies they oversee. I don't get why. Unless he's in the "Bring on the Rapture by creating Armageddon" crowd.
This is the most vile hive of scum and villainy...