Dear Umbra,

I hope you can answer this or direct me to someone who can. I am a member of the local Williamson County Democratic Party. I would like to print up a leaflet to distribute to the public at our next gathering on April 26 and 27 that shows just what the present Republican administration has done to our environment. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

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Thank you.

Tracie
Round Rock, Texas

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Dearest Tracie,

I’m afraid I’m answering this too late to help with your public gathering — but I know you’ll have more before the fall of ’04. This column maintains a nonpartisan stance, I hope you have noticed, so I am simply providing the following information in order that individuals may make their own judgments about the Bush administration’s environmental record.

The Natural Resources Defense Council maintains an ongoing log of federal activity pertaining to the environment, called the Bush Record. It’s sobering reading for Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Independents, the Freedom Socialist Party — everyone, really. (I mean “sobering” in the best nonpartisan way, of course.)

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V.P. Dick Cheney, President Bush,
and Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert.
Photo: White House.

On the other hand, I find myself somewhat inspired by the drive and resolve of the Bush administration. If its members can work so hard toward their goals, and be so successful, I should be able to do so as well. Looking at their achievements helps me take my own goals more seriously.

So, though some might say the Bush Record is a depressing read, directly correlated to national beer and wine sales, I think it could be a useful tool in bringing people together — people who are inspired to follow their own dreams, boot those pollutocrats out of office, and smack the snoozing Dems upside the head.

Nonpartisanly,
Umbra