IS BUSH TURNING GREEN?

 

 

 

 

Joyce Morrison
July 10, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

The selection of Henry Paulson to be the new Secretary of Treasury should be a red flag to those who believe in the protection of property rights. Has President Bush been listening to the wrong people or is he making recent debatable decisions on his own?

The appointment of former Idaho governor, Dirk Kempthorne, to serve as Interior Secretary left many wondering why Bush chose this man whose philosophy of public lands is not a balanced approach. The Liberty Matters organization quoted Kempthorne as saying, �When there is a conflict between conserving resources unimpaired for future generations and the use of those resources, conservation will be predominant.�

John H. Sununu, former Chief of Staff for George Bush, Sr. and former governor of New Hampshire, when asked about the philosophy of our current President Bush very carefully stated, �he has been badly served by a staff who did not live up to their resumes. The issues faced today are hard issues and men are asked to deal with issues they know nothing about.�

Sununu continued, �We have large energy reserves but we did not get a long term energy policy in the 2005 energy bill.�

Just speculation, but could Bush be thinking that to �cut a deal� with environmentalists by appointing Paulson to a cabinet position bring a compromise to the long term planning of energy? If a deal was made, let�s hope it was worth it.

Paulson openly promotes the theory of global warming and the Kyoto Treaty contrary to the stand taken by President Bush that the treaty would wreck our economy. He is also an extreme environmentalist which differs from the common sense President Bush has taken on a balanced approach to caring for the environment.

Those who have studied environmentalism can attest to the fact that it is not about �saving the environment,� but is a high dollar game and a method to �control� the land. If a depression should hit this nation, we would see how important the �environment� would be to these environmental leaders.

Henry Paulson spent 32 years at the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs and was currently CEO. He also served as the president of The Nature Conservancy. He was approved by the Senate Finance Committee to be our next Treasury Secretary. He was confirmed by the full Senate with no questions asked.

This multi-millionaire is as green as the money he will be dealing with. The extreme environmental groups and liberals are shouting with joy while conservatives are trying to figure out why conservative senators did not try to block this appointment.

Instead, a new regulation was written by the IRS, which Paulson will head, that he could sell his extensive Goldman Sachs stock holdings without incurring a tax penalty.

Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club told the Associated Press, �It isn't every day that the Sierra Club finds itself welcoming a nomination to George W. Bush's Cabinet with ultra-conservatives decrying the move,"

Nature Conservancy's CEO, Steve McCormick, said Paulson's "mark on the conservancy is indelible. He has helped us think big -- very big -- about our conservation ambitions."

The Ledger.com reported the above quotes as well as an interview this year with Muckraker, the website for the Center for Investigative Reporting. Paulson told them environmental health and financial well-being go hand in hand: "The environment and the economy have been totally misconstrued as incompatible. They are opposite sides of the same coin -- you can't consider one without the other.�

The Novak column in the Chicago Sun Times reported

Paulson will be closely watched to see if he plays favors by giving special tax treatment to The Nature Conservancy and other environmental groups. These organizations have repeatedly pushed for special tax breaks.

Liberty Matters reports:

The Nature Conservancy has become �partnered� with almost every government agency and receives huge amounts of money in the form of grants and agreements. The Washington Post did a series on TNC and exposed many of their dealings which questioned their integrity. They were investigated by a Senate panel and yet they have more control of the government than elected officials and now it appears they will receive cabinet status by way of the Treasury Department.

Paulson has reportedly made 70 trips to China in recent years and earned millions for Goldman Sachs from financial dealings �directly with the Peoples Republic of China and its state industries such as the Bank of China.� Guess who is one of the major holders of the United States debt? You guessed it�..China.

Analysts report that Japan and China hold much of the United States debt which runs into billions of dollars. In the real world, whoever holds someone�s debt requires collateral. The U.S. no longer uses gold or silver as a standard, so what would the United States have to use as collateral for this purchased debt?

The Nature Conservancy, which has about $4 billion in assets, has been called the real estate agent for the U.S. government as it buys land and then sells it back to the government. The U.S. government owns approximately 30% of the land in the U.S. not including property owned by state and local governments and environmental organizations. Much of the land owned by the U.S. and conservation groups contains valuable resources.

We certainly would hope the day never comes when our land and resources would be used as collateral for our nation�s debt.

Paulson�s wife has reportedly contributed $410,000 to the League of Conservation Voters. This is the organization that supported Kerry for President. Each year they select the �dirty dozen� legislators who do not play their game and spend big dollars trying to defeat them. Big money passes through this organization and they boast their power.

According to the League of Conservation Voters, they have unveiled the next seven members of their 2006 �Dirty Dozen.� Included in this group, which LCV is calling the �Oil Slick Seven,� are Senators Rick Santorum (PA), Conrad Burns (MT), and Jim Talent (MO) and Representatives Richard Pombo (CA), Katherine Harris (FL), Heather Wilson (NM), and Bob Ney (OH). LCV is currently or will be in the near future actively campaigning to defeat all of these Members of Congress in the 2006 elections.

According to Nature Conservancy�s CEO, Steve McCormick, under Paulson�s tenure, The Nature Conservancy made significant gains in global conservation and in strengthening governance and accountability. As Chairman, he played key roles helping define the organization�s global conservation vision, expand into new geographies and enhance the organization�s partnerships with the private and public sectors.

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The White House News states that �the Secretary of the Treasury has one of the most important jobs in the federal government. The Treasury Secretary is responsible for recommending and implementing policies dealing with taxes, financial markets, federal spending, trade and other issues affecting the health and competitiveness of the American economy. The Treasury Secretary oversees the minting of U.S. currency, the management of public finances, and the enforcement of important laws, including our efforts to crack down on terrorist financing. The Treasury Secretary is the leading force on my economic team and the chief spokesman for my economic policies.�

Add this little twist to the plot that Robert Zoellick, who served in the number two position in the State Department will now take over the spot at Goldman Sachs vacated by Paulson.

� 2006 Joyce Morrison - All Rights Reserved