Remember the “What’s Upstream?” campaign launched by a Washington state tribe to “rally political support for more regulations on agriculture”? Well, the activists behind the campaign are facing new backlash for using taxpayer-provided funds for their attack on farmers.
Supporters of the campaign claim that they are merely attempting to “educate people about agricultural pollution in the Puget Sound region.” But, as GOP U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse put it in a letter he co-authored to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whether characterized as propaganda or not, the campaign is still a “misuse of public funds.” Via the Seattle Times:
“Newhouse, a farmer and former head of the state Department of Agriculture, said the EPA’s funding of the campaign diminishes trust in the agency in an area where agricultural groups, tribes and agencies often must work together on issues.
“In his own letter to the EPA, state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, went further. Ericksen, a vocal critic of Democratic environmental proposals, called the What’s Upstream? campaign a ‘deliberate effort to blame agriculture for water pollution.’”
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, in a hearing before Congress, assured lawmakers that her agency “also was distressed about the use of the money and the tone of that campaign.” Apparently, the EPA is “reviewing the grant given to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, which then subgranted money to the Swinomish Indian Tribe for the campaign.”
The regional policy adviser for the EPA admits that the agency consulted with the tribe on the anti-farmer campaign. But, he claims that the “agency didn’t see the ads before they ran.”
In the end, the “What’s Upstream?” campaign is just another example of far-Left “greenies” using illegal tactics to push an extreme agenda that is itself based on false claims. Of course, they justify their illegal tactics on the pretense of “green righteousness.”
farmer bob says
now that these bastards got caught using public money to cause more hate and discontent towards farmers and ranchers, they should have to spend double their own money showing what conservation practices farmers and ranchers are doing to preserve and protect waters. I’m tired of getting a un deserved black eye from these pricks!