A conservative legal group is asking a federal judge to
punish the Environmental Protection Agency for destroying or failing to
preserve emails and text messages requested in August 2012 under the Freedom of
Information Act. The Landmark Legal Foundation believes the requested --
but never delivered -- messages to outside groups would have revealed EPA
attempts to influence the 2012 presidential election.
"The EPA is a toxic waste dump for lawlessness and
disdain for the Constitution,” said Landmark Legal President Mark Levin. His legal group wants the federal court to fine the EPA
“in an amount sufficient to deter future wrongdoing.” .........In 2003, the Agency was held in contempt by a
federal judge for destroying email backup tapes in a similar suit over
“midnight” regulations hurried into law in the final days of the Clinton
Administration. In that case, the EPA was fined nearly $300,000.
"The EPA has to learn that you can’t save the planet
by destroying the rule of law,” Levin said. “It also must understand that some
of our most precious resources are the principles of limited government and
official accountability enumerated in the Constitution. If we don’t protect
those, saving the snail darter or the spotted owl won’t mean a thing.”.....To Read More....
My Take - Fining the EPA tons of money will not deter
their lawlessness, no matter how high it goes. A huge fine may generate a
day's worth on commentary on Fox, but the rest of the media will do as little
as they can to publicize it, including ignoring it. If you want EPA officials
to change their behavior we have to subscribe to the same mentality they poses.
There’s nothing like a good civil penalty to assure compliance. While those penalties are being assessed against
the EPA, it’s the American public that’s paying those fines.
If we really want compliance we must realize
these laws are being broken by people – not some ethereal agency, but out of control bureaucrats – and since
they’re clearly acting outside their legislative authority. They’re acting on
their own – illegally! If their actions are illegal – and they clearly are – they must be fined personally, and that should be
done as a part of a criminal action. After all, they've broken the law and cost unknown millions to companies and the American people.
After that, those who suffered at their hands should go after them in
civil actions. That would be a good
first step, followed by abolishing this agency outright by following my friend
Dr. Jay Lehr’s suggestions, as outlined in Alan Caruba’s article A Great Plan to Replace the EPA.
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