EPA: Lifesaver and job creator?

Yesterday I indentified a few federal agencies I think should be eliminated. Note that one is them is not EPA, because I believe it performs an important function —-keeping the environment clean.

But unfortunately —–like just about every other government agency—- I believe EPA overreaches and inflates its importance. An op-ed defending EPA in today’s N&R cites a perfect example:

The EPA is a lifesaver and a job creator.

In 2010, the Clean Air Act amendments prevented an estimated 164,300 premature adult deaths, 230 infant deaths, 86,000 emergency room visits and 13 million lost work days, according to an April EPA report.

The University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute found that almost 1.5 million jobs would be created in the eastern U.S. over the next five years in order to comply with two new EPA air-quality rules and that these would more than offset any job losses in the coal industry.

The question is how does the EPA come up with those ‘lifesaving’ numbers? I wonder why it’s 230 infant deaths. Why not just round it up to like 250, or say 300, since there is no way they can know how many premature deaths an act of Congress (for heaven’s sake) prevented.

As for the number of jobs the EPA will create —- NYT’s David Brooks —appearing on the other side of the N&R ed page —– says green is where the jobs aren’t. The Department of Energy —- one of the agencies I would do away with —– insists on subsidizing green companies, only to have them fail or move operations to China, or both.

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Fat and hungry

I noted with interest last week’s report that Winston-Salem has “the worst rate of family hunger of any metropolitan area in the nation.”

Yet Twin City kids are fat, a problem that requires Mayor Allen Joines’ urgent attention.

I’m having trouble reconciling this problem.

N&O profiles Griffin

The N&O profiles D.H. Griffin president David Griffin, who headed the deconstruction of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks.

I profiled Griffin in 2002, and I remember him telling me when NYC officials called him and asked he if wanted the job, he asked for some time to think about it.

You’ve got an hour, they told him.

Kansas to the ACC?

That’s N&R columnist Ed Hardin’s theory (unposted) as he analyzes the current conference chaos:

And yet there’s one school out there that fits the ACC nicely. It’s a pretty good school with a pretty average football program, a proud history and a basketball pedigree that runs zig-zag from Springfield to Chapel Hill.

Kansas.

That’s right, Kansas. If everything breaks up, and the Big Seven washes away and the Jayhawks are left standing there with no one to throw them a lifeline, guess who their best friends in the world are?

You guess it. Us.

Hardin’s had some whacky theories over the years. But if TCU can join the Big East….