Senator Nelson (D-FL) has introduced the “Harmful Algal
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2017.” His proposed legislation seeks to amend the
1998 act to get more money for the EPA and NOAA to research algae blooms and
provide the states with more money to counter them. When I asked how much this would add to the
debt someone responded “When we are talking about clean water does it matter?” My simple answer was yes, this is my explanation.
Everything has both a value (real and emotional), as well
as a cost. In this case, everyone wants less
algae in our fresh water, but does that mean we spend unlimited dollars to try
and get it? You can make the exact same
argument for national defense, civil rights, speech, religion, open spaces, urban
development, welfare, social security, medical care, wild lands, space
exploration, education, infrastructure, and the list goes on. When half the country believes cost is no
object, but someone has to pay for it then how do we ever balance our books?
Most states require a balanced budget each year, why is
that?
I believe it was Margaret Thatcher who is quoted as
saying. “The thing about socialism is
sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
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