New Green Scissors Report Targets Government Waste that Harms Environment

Mar 12, 1996 | 2 min read | Print Article

The U.S. Government is squandering taxpayer dollars on federal projects that, according to environmentalists, cause environmental havoc. Examples include: the 1872 Mining Law which gives away approximately $2 – $3 billion worth of minerals from public lands each year; the New Jersey Beach Restoration Project which will end up costing federal taxpayers $1.7 billion; and the Three Gorges Dam Project in China, which would be the biggest dam in the world and cost American taxpayers $500 million.

These are just three of 47 federal programs targeted by the Green Scissors ’96 report released on February 15 by an unusual coalition of taxpayer groups, deficit hawks, and environmentalists. First formed in 1993, this odd-couple coalition is led by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense, U.S. PIRG and the Concord Coalition. The report was released simultaneously in nearly 50 locations from Florida to California.

With almost $39 billion worth of savings, these cuts are perfect for Congress as it tries to balance the budget. The Green Scissors campaign is about transcending the tired, conservative-vs.-liberal gridlock in order to find budget cuts that have broad political support. The Green Scissors campaign aims to change the way Washington, D.C. works by attacking pork barrel politics-as-usual.

The Green Scissors Campaign has already proved successful, killing nine of its targeted wasteful programs between 1993 and 1995. Total savings? Over $20 billion.

The Green Scissors ’96 report was featured on the Cable News Network (CNN) “Earth Matters” program on March 2, as well as in numerous national and local newspapers.

House Strikes Out on Farm Bill Cuts

Following through with the Green Scissors ’96 recommendations on the Farm Program, TC$ supported three amendments to the Farm Bill which would have cut or phased out multi-million dollar agribusiness subsidies.

On February 29, 1996, however, the House struck out by defeating these amendments as follows: sugar (208 to 217), cotton (167 to 253) and peanuts (209 to 212).