The linked article begins with a fundamental misunderstanding of Great Lakes restoration politics; no one expected Congress to adopt "the $20 billion restoration plan" for the Great Lakes or in fact for several years. The Bush Administration has opposed new spending, and it took over a decade for an Everglades restoration bill (dealing with one state) to get traction in Congress.
This is a long-term effort.
The third paragraph of the story is clearly the bigger worry; cuts in Great Lakes existing funding would be an insult to the region and must be resisted.
(September 15, 2006) — A massive grass-roots plan to safeguard the ecological future of the Great Lakes may be endangered on Capitol Hill.
Congress appears likely to adjourn this year without adopting the $20 billion restoration plan for Ontario and the other Great Lakes. The biggest obstacle seems to be cost.
Even worse, in the view of conservationists, Congress could end up cutting existing Great Lakes cleanup programs at a time when scientists warn that the lakes show signs of extreme stress from sewage overflows and other pollution, invasive species and loss of buffering wetlands.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/NEWS01/609150414
Posted by Dave at September 15, 2006 09:23 AM