Environmental Good News? Not So Fast.

My fellow Blue Voice Fdtate pointed to the good news that Bush plans to create the largest protected marine area in Hawaii after supposedly watching a documentary by Jean-Michel Costeau, Jacques' son. Everyone heaped praise on Bush. Environmentalists were ecstatic.

I say not so fast, because the question is: will he fund it?

And if he claims he will, the next question is: how much, from where and for how long?

If you think that's unnecessarily cynical, I have four words for you: No Child Left Behind.

Despite rhetoric to the contrary, the administration is leaving millions of children behind with respect to education by failing to fully fund the programs he signed into law in the No Child Left Behind Act ("NCLBA"). The president's budget contains $9.4 billion less than the levels authorized under NCLBA. The president also eliminates funding for 38 existing education programs and level funds critical programs such as those supporting after-school care and teacher quality initiatives. Despite the funding crisis in our public schools, the president has proposed diverting millions of dollars in federal resources to voucher proposals that exempt private schools receiving federal funds from the accountability in the No Child Left Behind Act.

With their track record on the environment the last 5 1/2 years-- not to mention Iraq and everything else -- there is no good reason to take Bush and his administration at their word. None.

To modify the words of that favorite Republican icon Ronald Reagan: don't trust. Verify.

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