Cholera Water for the Poor, $350-A-Bottle Pinot Noir for Republicans

The Republicans hate the EPA and are wholly owned by Corporations. As such, 223 Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to eliminate the power of the EPA and the Clean Water Act of 1972, by passing H.R.2018 The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011. It would eliminate, wholesale, the EPA's power to supersede individual states' water pollution rules. Because as we all learned last year with BP, TransOcean and Haliburton and the Gulf of Mexico Spill companies can be relied upon to regulate themselves and if something does happen Rick Perry or some other Republican Stooge can blame it on god.

This is a Joe Barton before the fact apology to polluting Companies. Quite simply by doing this the Republicans are allowing Corporations more leverage by allowing them to face individual States as oppossed to Federal Power.

BP acknowledged that for the last six years its Whiting refinery violated federal pollution limits on benzene, a highly toxic chemical linked to leukemia and other health problems.

BP reported that it had processed too much benzene at the refinery's sewage treatment plant, about 15 miles southeast of Chicago.

Last year alone (2008), the company processed more than 95 tons of benzene waste -- about 16 times the amount allowed. BP also violated the 6-ton limit from 2003 to 2007.

Whiting Refinery was cited who violations of U.S. and Indiana EPA regulations in October 2008,

Federal regulators say BP PLC violated the Clean Air Act by beginning to make modifications at its Indiana oil refinery along Lake Michigan to process Canadian crude without the proper permit.

The EPA said in November the modifications caused "significant increases" in sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and carbon monoxide emitted from the refinery.

Near Charleston West Virginia American families no longer have clean water to drink because the Bush Administration gleefully allowed Coal Companies to violate EPA standards and pollute the water table so badly that families are drinking a toxic sludge which is eating away at their bodies:

Jennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink the tap water in her home near Charleston, W.Va.

In fact, her entire family tries to avoid any contact with the water. Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Many of his brother’s teeth were capped to replace enamel that was eaten away.

Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.

In the last five years alone, chemical factories, manufacturing plants and other workplaces have violated water pollution laws more than half a million times.

But, like all things Republicans if you have $$$ you can have Clean Water or even better if you have money and are poised to ensure all Government Spenidng is directed at protecting and transferring wealth to the Rich while undercutting and killing the Poor you can be Pinot Noir swilling Paul Ryan, Serious Budget Wizard!

This is Dastardly stuff the Republicans are pulling. If you aren't not a Hedge Fund Manager or a high ranking official for a Multi-National Oil Company or own your own Private Jet the Republicans do not give a shit about you. And Republican bureaucrats passing this type of legislation don't care about water pollution because they know they'll be rewarded by these same polluting companies with huge dollar amounts.

But conservatives don't care. Republicans and Conservatives love when Americans die, the sound of Americans suffering is music to the Republican ear.