ENVIRO -- OPPOSE 'CLEAR SKIES'? TAX RETURNS, PLEASE

progressreport.org
2/23/2005

ENVIRO -- OPPOSE 'CLEAR SKIES'? TAX RETURNS, PLEASE: Environmental
regulator John Paul, a long-time Republican who voted for President Bush in
2000 and 2004, recently told a Senate environmental committee the
president's "Clear Skies" initiative "fails on every one of our
associations' core principals," is "far too lenient" on polluters and would
undermine "states' abilities to protect air quality." After the testimony,
several senators sent a letter to Paul with follow-up questions; Sen.
James Inhofe (R-OK) the chairman of the committee and also the lead sponsor
of "Clear Skies," took a different route. Inhofe asked Paul to
immediately submit the financial statements, membership lists and tax returns
for the last six years
(http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-clear19feb19,1,7326617,print.story?coll=la-headlines-nation)
for both regulatory associations he represents. Rep. Henry Waxman
(D-CA) called the move "a blatant attempt at intimidation and bullying so
that experts will be afraid to speak out about a bill that rolls back air
pollution protections for all Americans." Inhofe has since delayed a
vote on the bill "after he determined that he did not have the numbers to
send it to the full Senate," the Los Angeles Times reports.