Money talks louder than the public good, in the issue of uranium mining

Editorial: There’s green in that thar canyon The Daily Courier, 13 Oct 11, We smell something surrounding this week’s battle to open 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon for mining, and that something is political money.

The obvious concern for mining is the environmental impact on the majestic canyon, which, according to a report this year, is the biggest tourist destination in the U.S., and is just 100 miles north of Prescott.

The Department of the Interior extended its ban on filing new mining claims near the Grand Canyon in order to give the Bureau of Land Management time to study the effects of mining. The final study is due out later this month.Environmentally speaking, several groups, including American Indian tribes and ranchers, oppose the claims. In fact, they advocate for a permanent withdrawal of the land from new mining claims.

Financially speaking, we could be talking about fewer than 100 jobs here, according to the Interior. If the Interior secretary withdraws claims, 11 mines could open over the next 20 years. If not, 30 mines could be developed. The BLM reports that the difference in the number of jobs under the two scenarios is 71.

Politically speaking, well, examine the politicians and what they gain. The effort to mine the proposed 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon is a Republican effort, and the paper trail of campaign contributions reveals why. According to U.S. News and World Report, the mining industry has contributed $3.4 million to Republican congressmen and women since 2009, compared to $900,000 for Democrats. In the Senate alone, the average mining industry contribution is almost $30,000 more per Republican than Democrat. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the highest recipient of mining money among Arizona lawmakers, pulling in more than $42,000 in contributions. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) is second with almost $40,000…..

In no way do we suggest that the phenomenon of campaign contributions influencing political legislation is unique to one political party over another. The system for public policy has always been corruptible when money meets legislators, regardless of which side of the aisle is cashing checks. After all, the biggest single recipient of mining industry money is Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the nation’s second largest coal producing state.The Grand Canyon, though, is something else entirely.

The mining proposal here won’t create enough jobs to impact American or Arizonan unemployment. Nor will visitors from around the world gain a thing.

The mining companies are the only winners in this.

Oh, and the politicians that get their contributions, too.

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubsectionID=73&ArticleID=98986

October 16, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, secrets,lies and civil liberties, Uranium, USA

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