President Trump recently gave a speech at the White House regarding his agenda on the environment. The speech was an administration affair, with Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and others all in attendance.
In his speech, the President touted his administration’s accomplishments in balancing environmental protection and economic freedom. While the mainstream media largely “fact-checked” his speech with biased spin, there are many accomplishments the administration can point to.
Namely, President Trump withdrew the United States from the non-binding Paris Climate Agreement, which hamstrung our economy and did not have enough strength to hold countries accountable. It was also the right move since every country who signed the agreement already lags behind the U.S. in emissions reductions. It’s time for the rest of the world to pull their weight.
President Trump also discussed his signing of the largest public lands package in a decade, which created multiple new national parks and national monuments and designated 1.3 million new acres of protected wilderness.
Another great accomplishment of the administration is the active forest management executive order issued by the President that he signed in December. The order is meant to prevent future wildfires, like the devastating ones that impacted California last year, making 2018 the deadliest wildfire season on record in the state.
And this has all been done while unleashing the U.S. economy at a record pace.
Since taking office, President Trump has overseen the creation of six million new jobs across the country. The country is also witnessing an unemployment rate that is at its lowest in 50 years.
According to the President, more people are working today in America than have ever worked in the history of our country. Let that sink in.
But even with all this prosperity, there is more the President can do for the environment while also boosting economic prosperity and saving taxpayers money in the process.
In California, for example, the President has already helped with wildfire management. In that state alone, however, President Trump could boost his administration’s environmental record even more by turning his focus to ending funding for Section 2 of the Purple Line metro-rail that is being built near Los Angeles.
The line is an expansion of the Los Angeles subway system, being led by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is running the rail project under Beverly Hills High School, where unmapped, abandoned, and improperly kept oil wells and noxious methane gas exists. This presents harm not only to the environment but also students’ health as well. Not to mention the safety hazard of building a metro line under a school in earthquake country, as we were reminded of recently when earthquakes shook Los Angeles.
Shutting off federal funding for Section 2 of the Purple Line would also help boost California’s economy, which is one of the largest in the world. How? It could save taxpayer’s over $400 million, which could be reinvested into the economy.
It should be noted that the project has experienced great opposition by prominent conservatives and well-known and respected members of the community, such as Lisa Korbatov, who has publicly outlined the risks and harm that Section 2 of the Purple Line presents.
Similar to his decision to stop construction on the high-speed rail train in San Francisco, President Trump, along with U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, should shut off funding for the Purple Line. They should do so for the sake of the environment, the economy, and the safety of students and people in the community.
President Trump has a great chance to continue building an exceptional legacy on the environment and the economy. He has a valuable opportunity to add to that legacy by shutting down funding for Section 2 of the Purple Line.
