Green Ghouls Expand Efforts To Divert $700 Million COVID Pandemic Money – And Expose Their Corporate Agenda

“No New Revenues” Approach Exposes Corporate Control Of Faux Green Groups

Corporations, Builders, And Developers Evade Infrastructure Funding Obligations

My prior post on West Windsor’s selfish attempt to grab $20 million of COVID money is chump change compared to this: (NJ Spotlight today)

“It’s going to help but it’s not going to solve the problem,” said Schrauth, who is leading an effort to use $700 million in New Jersey’s share of pandemic relief money for upgrading water infrastructure. She said the higher-than-expected amount for lead service lines reflects a recalculation by EPA for states like New Jersey that have an especially high number of the lines.

The diversion of this money away from glaring public health system needs is a total disgrace (even though the water infrastructure expansion would provide some public health benefits).

(and I can’t wait to hear the claimed nexus between COVID and decrepit water infrastructure!)

Why can’t the Green Ghouls demand NEW FUNDING and NEW REVENUES to fund their projects?

They did exactly the same thing in the Keep It Green Campaign where they diverted DEP and State parks money to open space because they lacked the spine to fight Gov. Christie for new money.

The rich and corporations have enjoyed decades of tax cuts and subsidies. As a result, wealth and income inequality is greater than the days of the Robber Barrons.

According to a RAND Corporation Report (no liberal think tank!), there has been a $50 trillion upward transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich during this period. That is obscene.

They have a huge ability to pay and should begin paying their fair share of public obligations.

This regressive Neoliberal corporate funding approach is the result of the environmental community’s larger sellout to corporate and right wing ideology and corporate Foundation funding.

It is what happens when fraudulent corporate dominated groups like NJ Future are allowed to define the agenda and control the politics and policy of public campaigns to meet critical public needs, like water infrastructure. New revenues are blocked by the corporate influence on NJ Future.

NJ Future has no business speaking for the public interest in water infrastructure – they are a corporate and developer dominated organization (just look at the NJ Future Board and their funders and supporters).

Things won’t change until progressives call this stuff out publicly and regain control of the policy agenda and force real change.