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US EPA plans to cut staff to 1980s levels, dissolve research office
- barbazoo 2y ago> In 1984, the EPA had just over 11,400 staff members compared to more than 15,100 in 2024.
- tedunangst 2y agoLooking forward to rediscovering if acid rain is real or a myth.
- Daishiman 2y agoAmerican quality of life is going to decline so precipitously with the loss of state capacity for basic regulation and most people won't even understand what hit them.
- toomuchtodo 2y agoPeople who can leave will, people who can’t are hosed. Better luck in 4 years after another ~8-10M voters have aged out (~5k-7k/day).
- meristohm 2y agoIf only we had the collective right of recall, like the Haudenosaunee government that the US is in part based on, rather than having to wait years. Edit: "if only", ha. If only it were that simple.
- billy99k 2y agois collective recall the new buzz word for anti-democracy?
- toomuchtodo 2y agoNothing wrong with being anti democracy. Peter Thiel said "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,” and I find it hard to disagree with him at this point. The average American is at a 7th-8th grade reading level, for example. Not much pride in being dragged by that quality of electorate. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/14/politics/the-biggest-predictor-of-how-someone-will-vote https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/14/politics/the-biggest-predicto...
- squigz 2y agoOne has to wonder whether the billionaire might have other motives for being anti-democracy than a fervent belief in 'freedom'
- toomuchtodo 2y agoOh, no, of course. We can both agree democracy is a failure for different reasons.
- squigz 2y agoWhy do you think democracy is a failure? And what systems do you think should replace it?
- toomuchtodo 2y agoRecent examples: https://19thnews.org/2025/05/missouri-abortion-rights-laws-protections/ https://19thnews.org/2025/05/missouri-abortion-rights-laws-p... https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/unchecked-power-ohio-general-assembly-can-legislators-override-voters-will-marijuana-reform https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/unchecked-power-ohio-general-assem... https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article305391111.html https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/a...
- squigz 2y ago
- emchammer 2y agoI fear that the administration will drag much of the world into this kicking and screaming.