- What is the issue/problem?
- What current legislation has been proposed to address this? (Identify bill # and name)
The issue/problem is the United States government overspending and borrowing over 40 cents on each dollar that it spends. The bill H.R. 2584, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 talks about how this overspending is hurting the American economy by saying "that too often a commitment to an issue is measured by
the amount of money spent rather than
how the money is spent" (H.R. 2584). The House of Representatives left this bill on the 28th of July, 2011 as unfinished business. It has not been looked at since then.
Who is affected by the issue?
- Who is affected the most?
- Who loses, and what do they lose?
- Who gains, and what do they gain?
Those affected by this issue as a whole are the American people. To get specific though, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as several other that are listed in this bill. They lose because there is little to no funding of keeping the land, water, and other resources preserved. It costs money to keep up with maintenance as well as training and education. They will gain if their funding requirements are met. Thus, creating a safe, enjoyable environment for people to visit such as the Everglades which is talked about in H.R. 2584.
What are the consequences of the issue?
- For the individuals mostly affected?
- For their families?
- For society?
As mentioned before, the individuals that would be most affected are the American people and their families. The consequences in this bill were hard to find, however I did find some restrictions and processes that the bill talked about such as fossil fuel combustion waste regulation. This is a lengthy bill that has a variety of sections so I might have to end up choosing a section as we move on with this project. From what I read, this bill has been written to scrutinize all areas and not leave a single stone unturned. H.R. 2584 talks about managing and finding ways to manage thermal discharges, coal combustion ash, storm water discharge, etc. to create less of an impact on the natural environment.
What is the economic impact of the issue?
- What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
- What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
The proposed budget is eight million dollars. To me that sounds like a lot and almost unattainable. The economic benefits would be that land, water, parks, and pollutants would be maintained and regulated so as not to deplete our supplies nor contaminate them for future generations. Being that this is an exhaustive bill, I did not find as to HOW this bill will be funded. The bill is basically asking the government for money to help with preserving resources, and naturally, I assume it will come from taxes that we as a people are paying.
What is the social impact of the issue?
- What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
- What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
The social costs would be more spending for the preservation of wildlife, parks, and recreation areas around the United States. I suppose the social benefits would be that people who work for these agencies would still have their jobs; there would be more education and awareness; and SUPPOSEDLY the United States benefits as a whole.
What are the barriers?
- What are the barriers to addressing this issue?
- How can they be overcome?
Barriers would be the huge cost. Honestly, this bill should be broken up into many small bills instead of categorized in sections. Now that I keep looking at it and trying to make sense of it--it looks HUGE!!! This would take a long time to finally get rolling. Better to take small chunks and conquer them instead of throwing it all at the government at once.
What are the resources?
- What resources will we need to address this issue?
- Where and how can they be tapped?
Resources would be lobbying and keep bugging the legislators to pass this bill. They can be tapped by calling, talking, and writing letters to lobbyists asking them to support the bill.
What is the history of this issue?
- What is the history of the issue in the community?
- What past efforts were made to address it?
- What were the results?
This issue has been around for awhile I would think. I did not find much on past efforts that were made to address this issue. Results would probably only amount to efforts that were not achieved very well--hence this bill.
Allies & Opponents
- Who would support this issue?
- Who would oppose this issue?
- How can you involve allies and opponents in
advocacy efforts? (What common ground can you share? How can you create a
win-win for your allies and your opponents?)
The Department of Natural Resources would probably support this issue since the state and national parks could use more funding and education. Opposition would come from those who do not see that preserving the environment is important for future generations. Especially from people who see the resources and would rather exploit them til there was nothing left.
Your Recommendation
- How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy?
After reading this bill more in-depth, I actually would not vote for it because there is just too much going on. My recommendation is to have it broken up and focused more on every individual question instead of looking at it as a whole. I don't know. I'm detail-oriented instead of seeing things as a big picture.
