The Superfund was established about 22 years ago to help clean up messes that Corporations left behind. The idea was Corporations would pay a special tax into a trust fund and then that money would be used to clean up polluted property that has been abandoned or so thoroughly trashed that a single company couldn't cover all the costs,simple. Oh! but as always, the corporations especially, the oil and chemical industries, RESENTED PAYING THE TAX. SOOOOO, they lobbied the Con-Gress to kill the program and Con-Gress agreed and let the corporate taxes expire back in 1995.

Recently President Bush has declined twice to ask Con-Gress to reauthorize the taxes. Now comes the real good part, in 1996,the fund had $3.8 BILLION in it. As of the end of this year it is estimated that the fund will have about $28 MILLION. So what to do? well with all the wisdom that expounds from Washington and them shimering white buildings,it now has been decided that in 2004,all money that goes to replenish the fund will come from YOU AND ME.

Now what I want to know is how can we stop this stupidness,would a letter campaign help? some type of protest? what?

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), March 09, 2002

Answers

How come nothing was done in 1995 when the program expired?? Why wait 7 years to complain about it? Where did the money go after 1996 when the program changed??

When corporations pay taxes we all pay taxes. Only someone who is quite naive would believe otherwise. This is just a cost of doing business, and the amount is passed along to its customers by raising prices of goods produced. We pay it either way.

I remember having read some disturbing things in the past about the superfund, but I really don't recall exactly what they were. If anyone can refresh my memory I would be grateful.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), March 09, 2002.

According to what info i have, after 1995 they just used what money was in there and now the fund is drying up and they need to replenish it. But you are right Bob the way everything is set up the taxpayers will pay one way or another for this,either through direct taxation or increased corporation costs.

It's not a matter of complaning after 7 yrs. as I just read about this in my local paper,due to we have property around us that is subject to the superfund money, but I guess I am just getting tired of having to foot the bill for everyone that crys to con-gress.

Someplace,sometime, somebody has got to wake up and say enough is enough,we just can't do it anymore. You can't get blood from a turnip.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), March 09, 2002.

If PRO is the opposite of CON, then Progress is the opposite of Congress.

As to the taxation aspects, there are a number of issues which need to be addressed there. Corporations are one of the few entities actually culpable for income tax as they are getting special priveleges by avoiding personal loss of property through being under the umbrella of a corporation. Also, economically, should this actually still be free enterprise, there would be a cap on increases because they cannot charge more than the market will bear...that is so long as there are not monopolies. However, we do always bear the cost in the end no matter how twisted the road gets. Frustrating, isn't it?

What can you do about it? Raise a stink and watch the congress critters do whatever the corporations desire anyway.... or get such a massive stink going that 20% of the populace knows about it.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), March 09, 2002.

Well, here is one ---just one---major one---- to watch unfold. But don't count on NBC for the results because the major player owns it. It could mean the superfund goes bankrupt !

The Hudson River Cleanup. General Electric polluted the river for 50 years wth PCB's. True ! It is a fact, they did it and they admit it. General Electric could dredge the river(40 miles of it) for 500 million and they would --except ? The PCB's have done all the damage they can do at the moment and they lie dormant under 6 inches of silt. If the river is dredged it will ignite a new disaster and kill everything all over again. If General Electric does not dredge the river than the EPA will and bill the company 4 billion dollars. This will also bankrupt the fund. Why does it cost the EPA so much more to dredge than G.E.? Why not let a sleepin dog lie ? It will be interesting to watch ! 500 million bucks to G.E. is pocket change. The CEO of G.E. claims the cleanup would only affect his stock by .03 cents in one quarter. He is probably right--he paid for both the towers, all four airplanes, and still turned a 14 cent per share profit in the third quarter last year.

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), March 10, 2002.

Go to: http://www.epa.gov/region02/news/2002/02005.htm

EPA has received approval to dredge Husdon River

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), March 10, 2002.