CEQ Not Disposable, Even If Everyone Tired of Budget Process

It's déjà vu all over again...again...again.

I thought of Yogi's timeless remark when I learned the other day that Governor Rell's newest budget proposal omits funding for the Council on Environmental Quality.

As the ludicrous struggle to come up with a budget to keep the state government operating has gone on for weeks that have turned into months, CEQ has been out and then been in and then been out again and then back in, in various budgets put forth from time to time. And now the governor has evidently tossed it out once more.

Environmentalists had thought they had saved CEQ and now it turns out it may not be saved after all -- right as the lazy, vacation filled days of August are upon us and many of us are elsewhere enjoying summer fun.

A problem with this kind of budget game is that people get tired of it, even the legislators themselves. And advocates take their eyes off what has been going on, figuring past battles have been won. Negotiators may get tired enough to give up just to go home and get the whole thing over.

CEQ has not become less valuable just because everybody is tired. Until this budget is locked up no battle has been finally won. No apparent victory is safe.

Certainly CEQ is not safe from a governor who apparently does not care enough to keep it going on the pittance it requires. This is not a time when environmentalists can safely look away from this shabby process or fail to make their voices heard. Or remind everyone concerned that we vote and have excellent memories.

-- Russ Brenneman

Russ Brenneman is the chair of the CTLCV Education Fund, and former co-chair of CTLCV.