Apr. 09, 2006 - 20:04

FANCY BOOKKEEPING

I guess it is all in how the feds put things. Much is open to interpretation. But they keep trying to swerve and sway the public's minds. An article in the editorial section of the Sunday Denver Post today deals with that. In full (bolds and italics mine):

WETLANDS REPORT MISLEADING

"A recent federal report misleads the public by saying the United States gained more wetlands than it lost between 1998 and 2004, when in truth the country still allows widespread destruction of these crucial ecosystems."

"And it's not just lush states like Louisiana and Florida that should worry, Colorado also harbors wetlands, many of which are at risk."

"The U. S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture noted in the March report that the country lost more than 500,000 acres of natural wetlands in the study's six year period. Yet the report cited a gain of 715,000 acres of wetlands in the form of retaining ponds, wastewater systems and golf course water hazards, artificial structures that don't perform the same ecological functions as TRUE wetlands."

The magazine Field & Stream said the "announcement was likely an act of setting the table for more administration assaults on wetlands protection."

"Meanwhile the U. S. Supreme Court has heard two cases challenging the federal government's right to use the Clean Water Act to protect many types of wetlands found around the country, including most of those in Colorado. If developers and other industries can legally destroy wetlands, taxpayers could wind up paying the bill. The effort underway to save the Everglades, for example, will cost $8 billion -- and is aimed mostly at offsetting damage caused by farming and development near America's famoous "sea of grass."

"Colorado's wetlands are less prominent but include forest fens, alpine tundra peat, desert and prairie potholes, lakeshores and stream banks. Biologists say 90 percent of our wildlife and birds spend part of their lives in wetlands."

"Wetlands also absorb pollution, helping to keep our rives and lakes clean and thus protect our drinking water.Amazingly, wetlands also are the easiest and cheapest way to cleanse toxic runoff from the thousands of abandoned mines in Colorado's high country.Partly decayed insects, mosses and other dense organic matter found in wetland soils physically slow down the water's flow, so squeeze out heavy metals and other toxins before the water reaches nearby streams. Reeds, willows and other plants also act as biologic filters, although how they do so is a bit of mystery. The Grand Mesa and South Park harbor especially biologically rich wetlands, including species found nowhere else."

"If Colorado continues to lose its wetlands to development, water diversions and reckless off-road vehicle use, our state will risk its wildlife and clean water.

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Seems to me that each state has its own wetland problems and dangers attendant to elimination of same. So this article might just serve as a wake up call to others elsewhere.

But the irritating thing is our administration skews its reports to enable it to favor industry and corporations and the public be damned - - - at least that is my opinion.

Methinks our administration spin-doctors have multiplied and are in every facet of government now. Plus the fact that somehow the spin-doctors have been spun up to ultra-high-speed.

So everywhere the government speaks it appears that they indulge in FANCY BOOKKEEPING . . . . . . . . . . .

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