In the late 1960’s and early 70’s the U.S. was waking up to the fact that the environment had gone to heck in a hand-basket. Massive fish kills were being reported in the headlines on a weekly basis and in some parts the sun couldn’t be seen for smog.  The U.S. Congress and the President reacted, passing clean water and clean air legislation; and creating the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Forty years later, some members of Congress and some presidential candidates are moving toward eliminating or drastically limiting the EPA and reducing funding completely to upgrade water and waste water infrastructure.  At the same time that billions of dollars will be needed to upgrade water and waste water infrastructure, which is literally falling apart, more than a few members of Congress are demanding less taxes and downsizing the federal government.
During a December U.S. Senate hearing, a committee was informed that it will take $335 billion to fix American water systems and $300 billion to repair sewer systems constructed in the 60’s and 70’s.  Water distribution pipes in the Capitol are being replaced at an average of 11 miles a year. At this rate, replacing leaking water line will take more than 100 years.  The challenge is which lines should be replaced first; the lines that are leaking or the lines that are already 100 years old.
If promises of  downsizing the federal government and reducing federal taxes got your Congressman elected get ready to return to the environment of the 60’s and 70’s.  Instead of promises to downsize the federal government and reduced taxes won’t it refreshing if some candidates promised to help creat a “wiser federal government” and the “wiser spending of federal taxes?”