Trending
An Associated Press article in last Wednesday's edition of the Sun-Gazette illustrates -- once again -- why the executive branches of government need to be restrained and why power needs to be returned to legislatures.
The Biden administration is reversing two policies implemented under the Trump administration. The policies weakened regulations regarding habitat for vulnerable animal species -- animals and flora that, while not necessarily endangered yet were at risk of soon reaching such status.
The Trump administration's policies "added weight to economic development and other interests," the Associated Press reported, better enabling drilling, mining and other economic development in the habitats in questions.
We are inclined to suspect that the Biden administration is going too far to prevent such development in these habitats. These industries create decent-paying jobs and Pennsylvania's experience with the gas industry is evidence that development can be balanced with environmental and conservation concerns.
But we also recognize the likelihood that the Trump administration's policy changes went too far -- that balancing economic development with environmental concerns were not a priority and the environmental side of the equation was neglected.
We believe a compromise between the Trump administration's policies on this matter and the Biden administration's reversal of those policies is preferable -- and we note there is an avenue for exactly that kind of compromise.
Addressing policy through the legislative process requires lawmakers to make their cases, state what they won't compromise on and then hammer out the give-and-take on what they can compromise on.
But setting policy through the legislatures and their more transparent approaches has unfortunately given way to rule-setting by executive-branch bureaucracies. Instead of nuanced laws that the majority of Americans with a stake in the matter can accept, we have a see-saw between extremes, where industry gets what it wants … for a few years, until the environmental lobby gets what it wants instead … for a few years until the political winds shift.
And in the long-term, everyone -- advocates for industry, environmentalists and most of all Americans who want responsible, nuanced debate -- loses out.