EPA Issues Tough New Regs - and a Waiver, for Obama's pal
By AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
Boston, Massachusetts
February 4, 2011 6:49am CST
The EPA issued tough new regulations designed to save the planet by crippling business, ummm... I mean by forcing business to be responsible about emissions and the environment. Just like the healthcare law that's supposed to be good for all of us, those who whine it's not good for them are getting waivers from the new regulations. Guess who got the first waiver from the EPA?
You don't have to look any further than the White House to find your first lucky recipient of a waiver from the EPA. Of course, the EPA issued it to GE - whose CEO just happens to have been recently named to Obama's economic recovery team.
GE is a shining example of all the things Obama tells us are bad for our country. Obama criticizes companies that take jobs out of the country, for instance. 53% of GE's employees are overseas. But if you're Jeff Immelt and you're tight with the Prez, your company isn't going to be called out in a WH speech, you won't have protestors organized by Van Jones descending on your meetings and I guess your pollution don't stink, cause we aren't going to make you curb your output.
While the EPA is busy putting small dairy farmers out of business by making new regulations concerning emergency disaster management for spilled milk, they are giving companies like GE a free ticket. Do you feel the White House is doing as Obama encouraged earlier this year, "rewarding our friends" and "punishing our enemies"? And since when are dairy farmers our enemies?
4 people like this
7 responses
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
4 Feb 11
Once again, Obama violates his own promises. What a crooked criminal!
4 people like this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
4 Feb 11
your pollution dont stink!
When laws are passed, or stupid "regulations", there should be NO waivers. What the heck good is the regulation if one of the bigger polluters is exempt?
SInce when is anybody above the law?@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
4 Feb 11
I think the passing of more regulations is the biggest problem. It's wrong and thuggish to put the screws to some businesses and let the companies that toady up to the administration get out of obeying those same regulations. And there are no regulations that make less sense than those designed to curb global warming (or, as it is now called, The Climate Hokey Pokey). If businesses move out of the country to avoid these regulations, they just go to countries without these crippling regulations and, big news, those countries are on the same planet we are! The only difference is the jobs we lose.
2 people like this
@xfahctor (14113)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
5 Feb 11
I held off for a while commenting on this. On it's surface, this seems like a major issue. However, in looking a little deeper, it may not be. Since the permit process was started before the new regulations came in to effect, they would not be legally bound by those regulations, hence the waiver. GE was basically "grandfathered" out. It is just unfortunate for the administration that it was GE.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14113)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
5 Feb 11
"But would GE be advised of the coming regulations prior to their enactment"
I believe that is an entirely plausible scenario. But, while it is a reasonable assumption...it is still an assumption. It would be great if some evidence could be found that this occurred because if it did, it represents a violation of the law.
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
5 Feb 11
But would GE be advised of the coming regulations prior to their enactment? I don't think this is out of the realm of possibility, or even reasonable assumption. I think the entire situation would get more scrutiny if Obama were not the president this was happening under.
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
8 Feb 11
Yeah...we could use a few tough G-Men! Pow! Bang! Take that, you traitors! These clowns don't even deserve Miranda rights. G-Men didn't have hem, anyway. Political correctness was still a Communist tactic, used in Russia. We were still innocent, then.
Maggiepie
"Depending upon politicians to uncover corruption is like asking a burglar to guard your family treasure." ~ Evan Hunter (Mylotter)
@millertime (1394)
• United States
5 Feb 11
Sounds like business as usual for our high government officials. Didn't everyone, especially the anti big business left wing crowd, whine and moan about the Bush administration being in bed with "big oil"? Ya, those nasty old republicans are the ones that buddy up to the big corporations, right?
Now we have Obama all cozied up to one of the biggest corporations out there, GE. Not only does GE get a free pass on the latest EPA regulations, Obama appoints the CEO to a position in his administration. Can't get much more blatant than that. How much did Jeff Immelt contribute to the Obama campaign anyway?
Obama seems to be really taking care of his cronies in big business doesn't he? Wasn't Obama supposed to change the way government operates when he got into office? Doesn't seem much different to me. If anything, the Chicago style, politics of money and influence peddling, seems even worse and much more blatant.
By giving one corporation an exemption from a law that everyone else has to obey, the government is exerting influencing into the world of business. It's showing partiality and giving one business an advantage over others. Is this how our government is supposed to work? Absolutely not.
Our Republic is supposed to be a nation of laws and not of men. Laws are supposed to apply to everyone equally. Nobody is supposed to get an "exemption" from the law just because you happen to be buddies with the guy in the white house.
But I guess Obama believes that he and the "ruling class" are above the law. 
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Feb 11
We have seen the same scenario with all the waivers to the requirements of the healthcare bill given out to unions and other corporations. Although it's possible this was not the result of cronyism, it seems very likely that it was.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
8 Feb 11
Much as those here during the Cold War were said to be "paranoid," seeing conspiracies in every pot, & "one (a Communist) under every bed," B.O. sees "enemies everywhere.
And you know what? He's right. We who love freedom are his enemies, now, fighting in every possible way legally available to stop his takeover of everything.
I don't see him under every bed, but then just one of such a traitor/impostor as he is more than enough!
Maggiepie
"Depending upon politicians to uncover corruption is like asking a burglar to guard your family treasure." ~ Evan Hunter (Mylotter)
