[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E455-E456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER DOESN'T NEED NEW BUREAUCRACY

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                         HON. CHARLES H. TAYLOR

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 1998

  Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I commend to your 
attention this article written by Will Haynie for the Asheville 
Citizen-Times--a newspaper in North Carolina's 11th Congressional 
District. It provides a persuasive argument against the American 
Heritage Rivers Initiative as proposed by President Clinton.

          [From the Asheville Citizens-Times, March 22, 1998]

                  Old Man River Doesn't Need the Feds

                            (By Will Haynie)

       The song says that Old Man River, he just keeps rolling 
     along. In today's political environment permeated by hype and 
     hysteria, some say that may be easy for an old man, but a 
     French Broad needs federal help.
       After the American Heritage Rivers Initiative was 
     announced, the result was a knee-jerk reaction to jump on the 
     federal bandwagon to do something nice for rivers. Not for 
     all of America's rivers, but just for the ten whose 
     communities jump through the federal hoops required for a 
     chance to be personally picked by the president. And with 
     this president, how could ours lose with a name like French-
     Broad?
       The American Heritage Rivers initiative was announced by 
     President Clinton in his State of the Union Address in 
     February 1997. This is an executive branch program, the 
     details of which I viewed at the web site maintained by the 
     federal Environmental Protection Agency (the address is 
     http://www.epa.gov/rivers).
       The efforts to nominate the French Broad for American 
     Heritage River status sparked a healthy local debate over the 
     role of the federal government and its control over our lives 
     and property. This debate combines the best lessons from 
     history and social studies along with some environmental 
     science topics thrown into the mix.
       With such a precious natural resource as the focal point, 
     it's tempting for even the most conservative of us to respond 
     by supporting what looks at face value to be a good 
     intention.
       But one thing I learned spending a lot of my youth around 
     water is to look before you leap. Sometimes smooth surfaces 
     hide harmful obstacles.
       One obstacle in this initiative is that it comes straight 
     from the executive branch of the federal government and 
     involves the allocation of the funds and assets. When our 
     constitution was framed, the representative branch was given 
     such powers.
       One of the initiative's stated goals is to ``protect the 
     health of our communities by delivering federal resources 
     more effectively and efficiently.''
       Two of the most famous lies in the world are ``the check's 
     in the mail'' and ``we're from the federal government and 
     we're here to help you.'' Add another one to that list: ``we 
     will deliver federal resources more effectively and 
     efficiently.'' Sure, like the speed of the Post Office, the 
     thriftiness of the Pentagon, and the courtesy of the IRS.
       Is this to say that paying our federal taxes and acting in 
     a law-abiding manner are not enough reasons to get effective, 
     efficient service from federal agencies? Do we now have to 
     petition the feds and hope for special designations just to 
     get what we are owed?
       The third stated requirement for communities whose rivers 
     receive the designation is ``the willingness . . . to enter 
     into new, or to continue and expand existing partnership 
     agreements.''
       The EPA also states ``designated rivers and their 
     communities will also receive a commitment from federal 
     agencies to act as `Good Neighbors' in making decisions that 
     affect communities.'' That statement raises another question: 
     where does that leave communities who either don't seek or 
     seek but don't achieve American Heritage status? They better 
     not count on the feds to be their good neighbors. They didn't 
     buy an indulgence.
       Proponents of The American Heritage Rivers Initiative swear 
     it is not a federal land and power grab. Yet the initiative 
     lists ten contact agencies involved with the program, and the 
     only state agency listed is the North Carolina Historical 
     Preservation Office.
       The biggest mystery in this initiative is the statement 
     that federal agencies will support local communities ``within 
     existing laws and regulations.'' Really?

[[Page E456]]

       Then, why must we approach the federal government by 
     pleading and petitioning and promising to play by their rules 
     so we can get protection for our river?
       Nobody wants the French Broad River to be an open sewer. 
     But running to the executive branch so all the king's horses 
     and all the king's men can put it back together again is not 
     the only solution, and it certainly isn't the best solution. 
     Our congressman is called a representative because that's 
     what he does for us in Washington.
       Rep. Charles Taylor has presented a viable plan for the 
     French Broad that will use existing channels to make all 
     applicable agencies do their jobs for us without having to be 
     petitioned to do so. The river is not yet in perfect 
     condition, but it's a lot cleaner than it was fifty or even 
     twenty-five years ago. We're making too much progress to call 
     in the feds, even if they are ``here to help us.''

     

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