Dartmouth environmentalists and the Conservative Union at Dartmouth have joined forces in an unlikely alliance to protect the environment and fight wasteful government spending.
The alliance brings together groups from "opposite ends of the political spectrum" to fight "pork-polluters," according to Matt Nisbet '96, who works for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington, DC. USPIRG helped organize the partnership along with the Concord Coalition, a non-partisan organization dedicated to balancing the federal budget.
The Dartmouth Outing Club's environmental studies division and CUAD released their 1997 "Green Scissors report" last Tuesday. The report is a "reference tool to help balance the budget," according to CUAD Chairman Michael New '97.
New said the campus groups worked primarily on the distribution and media attention of the report in New Hampshire.
New said USPIRG wanted to work with organizations that "wouldn't normally work together to show the support of people from a wide variety of political opinions."
"I thought that they would be more interested in the DOC than" CUAD, New said. But he said he was not surprised by the strategic coalition of environmental and conservative groups.
"It shows that people from a wide political background can work on at least some things together and effect a positive change," he said.
Frank DeLeon '99, the head of the environmental studies division of the DOC, said he was "surprised that DOC and the Conservative Union were working together. But it's neat to see both sides of the spectrum working together on an issue."
Nisbet said involving the College groups this year was important because New Hampshire's Republican Senator Judd Gregg is a "champion in cutting [wasteful] programs." He said strong support in New Hampshire for the nationwide report would pressure him to continue fighting them.
DeLeon said the report will "let the public and congress know that a lot of spending is taking place that isn't necessary." DeLeon said he read the report and offered the DOC's endorsement of it before its release.
"The government invests in Pillsbury and Sunkist to expand in other countries, which is unnecessary," he said. "We need money for environmental protection and education, things that are being cut."
Nisbet said the report's New Hampshire supporters would like to see subsidies cut for timber roads in the White Mountain National Forest.
"These subsidies cost taxpayers $250 million" annually, he said. The National Forest Agency, which cuts down trees and sells them below market cost to timber companies, costs New Hampshire taxpayers another $1.1 million, according to Nisbet.
In a press release, Bob Linnell of the Concord Coalition said these "subsidies to the timber industry flatten our forests and our pocketbooks."
"It is outrageous that Congress has chosen to slash funding for environmental programs, while corporate polluters are living high on the hog," Linell said.
Congressman Charles Bass (R-N.H.) is using the 1997 Green Scissors Report as a resource to "fine-tune recommendations," according to Brian Sansoni, a representative in Bass's public relations office.
The report is one of many resources Bass will use to help in his "efforts to target corporate welfare and to get a balanced budget package through this Congress," Sansoni said.
"Bass hasn't necessarily been too strong on environmental issues in the past," New said. "USPIRG is looking to get him more involved."
Nisbet, however, said that Bass has voted to end subsidies for mining, agriculture and water projects in the past, though he has been "reluctant to end subsidies for timber roads and below-cost timber sales."
