By: centraljersey.com
On Feb. 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (HR 1) that wages the most sweeping assault on our air and water in recent history.
The bill blocks the Environmental Protection Agency from protecting our health from dangerous carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. It also puts the drinking-water sources for close to half the state’s population at increased risk of pollution by barring the EPA from restoring Clean Water Act protections to vulnerable waterways.
To his credit, Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) voted against a number of amendments to this atrocious anti-environmental bill that made it even worse. He opposed efforts to prevent cleanup of cement plants that spew toxic mercury emissions into our air and water.
Yet, I am dismayed that Rep. Smith voted to let dirty fossil fuel companies off the hook and, ultimately, in support of a final bill that eviscerates our core environmental and public health protections.
It is now up to Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez to defend New Jerseyans’ fundamental right to clean air and water by defeating this out-of-step proposal.
Doug O’Malley Field Director Environment New Jersey
AARP says thank you to governor
To the editor:
AARP commends Gov. Christie for supporting a budget for the state’s two pharmaceutical assistance programs, PAAD and Senior Gold.
Because of health care reform, the state is able to increase efficiency through coordinating PAAD and Senior Gold with Medicare Part D. The resulting savings allow New Jersey to continue full funding for both programs without any reduction in eligibility or benefits. In other words, the state saves money while vulnerable disabled and older adults who rely on pharmaceutical assistance are not hurt in the process.
Efficiencies include increased enrollment of PAAD beneficiaries into Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy, which covers almost all of their prescription costs. In addition, drug manufacturers will cover half the cost of many drugs; this reduces the doughnut hole that pharmaceutical assistance programs must pay.
On behalf of our almost 1.3 million members in New Jersey, we thank Gov. Christie for setting the standard for other states. While he could have reduced funding or cut the two programs altogether, as some states are considering, he chose a plan which would balance the state’s need to close the budget deficit with its desire to protect its most vulnerable citizens. Thank you, governor!
Marilyn Askin AARP chief legislative advocate Plainsboro
Limit meat consumption to help world hunger
To the editor:
The popular revolutions we are witnessing in the Middle East, while inspired by a desire for personal freedom and self-determination, are certainly sustained by a pervasive hunger pandemic, particularly among the world’s less privileged populations.
Since last December, skyrocketing demand for food and dwindling supplies have driven the global Food Price Index to new records. Supplies have suffered from catastrophic floods and droughts linked to global warming and from gradual depletion of groundwater aquifers. Demand has been fueled by unchecked population growth and by diversion of massive amounts of grains into biofuel and meat production.
Hunger afflicts nearly one billion people worldwide, mostly women and children. It feeds massive popular migrations and unrest that, sooner or later, will affect us all.
Some of the causes of global hunger are beyond our personal control. But, as the world’s highest meat consumers, we have a special obligation to free up some grains for the hungry by limiting our own consumption. With the broad availability of delicious and nutritious meat and dairy alternatives in every supermarket, there is no reason to delay. Entering "live vegan" in a search engine returns lots of good guidance.
Jonas Bennett Princeton
