• @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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    1 month ago

    From the very fucking source I posted:

    Some Alaska Natives are critical of the drilling ban across such a significant swath of the NPR-A. It has proved controversial with Alaska’s bipartisan congressional delegation, as well as Alaska Native groups who say they depend on the tax revenue from oil drilling to fund schools and basic services.

    The final rule “does not reflect our communities’ wishes,” said Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat President Nagruk Harcharek, adding the move “will hurt the very residents the federal government purports to help by rolling back years of progress, impoverishing our communities, and imperiling our Iñupiaq culture.”

    The ban will also open the president to attacks from Republicans that he is failing to prioritize American energy independence and is driving up the price of gasoline. But under Biden’s tenure, the US is producing more oil than any country in history, CNN Business reported, and gas prices are down $1.35 from their all-time high in June 2022.

    In addition to protecting a vast amount of the NPR-A on Friday, the Biden administration moved to block the Trump administration-approved Ambler road in the Alaskan wilderness. If built, the road would serve as the access point for a proposed copper mine. The administration signaled it wanted to take “no action” on the mine, effectively blocking the road’s access to federal land.

    In a statement, Ambler Metals, the company seeking to mine copper in the region, said it was “deeply disappointed” in Interior’s decision. Ambler’s managing director Kaleb Froehlich said the move would deprive local communities of jobs and tax revenue and prevent the US “from developing a domestic supply of minerals that are critical for clean energy technology and national security.”

    The Alaska announcements cap off a week that saw a flurry of actions from Biden’s Interior Department. On Thursday, the department announced a new rule that elevated conservation to put it on equal footing as other public land uses like grazing, mining and other energy development. The new conservation rule covers 245 million acres largely in the Western United States – about a tenth of the land in the nation.

    But sure, it’s just all the big bad corpos, they’re all on one side, and the people are on another. Anyone who does anything that helps the corpos is just their slave. Politics is delightfully simple, it would seem.

    • FuglyDuck
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      1 month ago

      Gee, wouldn’t be awesome if we could just, you know, fund schools?

      naw. That’s too easy. and too “socialist” even though it’s probably less expensive than, you know, all the damage that will be caused… this year… by massive fires, extremely intense storms or other things affected by (and affecting) climate change.

      Edit: side note, how much do you think corporations spent to make sure their tax revenue was funding people’s public schools? how much do you think they spent to let people know that?

      • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 month ago

        Gee, wouldn’t be awesome if we could just, you know, fund schools?

        Goodness, why didn’t Biden think of that? With a stroke of his pen, he could have solved all of these issues! Raised taxes, changed state laws for funding schools, and united all the necessary Federal apparatuses to change with it, and everyone would have cheered and toasted his name! Goodness, I’m so glad that’s how our government works! One man, once elected, can lawfully remake the nation as he sees fit, no other elected officials or separation of powers or bureaucratic processes involved!

        naw. That’s too easy. and too “socialist” even though it’s probably less expensive than, you know, all the damage that will be caused… this year… by massive fires, extremely intense storms or other things affected by (and affecting) climate change.

        Yes, it’s fucking ridiculous. That’s not the same as saying “Man who isn’t High Supreme Dictator For Life hasn’t done it because he’s in the pocket of THE CORPOS”

        People have interests, and those interests are often tied up in institutions and processes that are not able to be changed by one official, not even the highest official in the fucking land. Sorry that the process of government isn’t quick and easy, and unfucking it is a massive undertaking that takes longer than a lunch break.

        • FuglyDuck
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          41 month ago

          Nationwide, around 10% of funding for schools is public. In Alaska it was 7% in 2020. You’re right in saying it would take an act of congress. Biden loves taking credit for acts of congress, though. so he can take credit for that, too. Further, he was a senator for longer than I’ve been alive. His leadership in the DNC has shaped the nation and is a large, if not-exclusive, part of how we got into this mess.

          but do go ahead, insist it’s NoT BiDeN’s FaUlT when a) he has a very long track record that is a significant part of the problem and b) while he can’t act unilaterally, he largely hasn’t acted in any meaningful way.

          Literally the only justification for voting for Biden is that trump is worse. that’s not an argument for Biden… and after a certain point you have to wonder if maybe that’s the reason he didn’t pressure his DoJ to hurry the fuck up with trump indictments… you know… for fucking espionage… or even the entire reason Trump is allowed to be a political candidate at all.

          But sure the guy whose done nothing for decades… he’s gonna save us with some parks.

          • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            21 month ago

            Biden loves taking credit for acts of congress, though. so he can take credit for that, too.

            Oh, okay, yes, that’s the problem, Biden just didn’t realize he could take credit for something that Congress did. Good thing Congress would definitely be onboard with it, included a supermajority in the Senate.

            and after a certain point you have to wonder if maybe that’s the reason he didn’t pressure his DoJ to hurry the fuck up with trump indictments… you know… for fucking espionage… or even the entire reason Trump is allowed to be a political candidate at all.

            Jesus fucking Christ.

            And you wonder why this whole line of thinking is seen as deeply unserious.

            • FuglyDuck
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              11 month ago

              And you wonder why this whole line of thinking is seen as deeply unserious.

              in 2020, Biden ran on his vast tenure. but apparently, its “deeply unserious” to look at what hes done? He’ll likely mention it again in the coming year

              And yes, he does take credit for acts of congress. the build back better plan comes immediately to mind. Or did you think he did that exclusive? American Recovery Act, too. in fact, he pretty much takes credit for every major piece of legislation that comes off. And to be fair, he does do some heavy lifting and horse trading to get it done, but he’s far- far from alone on that.

              • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                31 month ago

                in 2020, Biden ran on his vast tenure. but apparently, its “deeply unserious” to look at what hes done?

                No, it’s deeply unserious to have vast criticisms of what Biden hasn’t done with a complete and total ignorance of how the government or the presidency works.

                • FuglyDuck
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                  11 month ago

                  Riiiight.

                  maybe you should explain how it all works to the fucking POTUS, then, since he loves taking credit for congressional acts that he think’s we’ll like. can’t have it both ways. that you try to insist he should get it both ways is hilarious.

                  it is a valid criticism to say nothing he’s done comes even close to ‘enough’. in fact, despite his efforts, he’s released more oil into the market from the strategic reserves than every other president combined., and new oil permits have significantly outpaced permits during Trump’s admin.

                  but it’s deeply unserious to actually look at Biden’s record. As a president. unless that record is… you know… actually a positive record.

                  • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    31 month ago

                    maybe you should explain how it all works to the fucking POTUS, then, since he loves taking credit for congressional acts that he think’s we’ll like. can’t have it both ways. that you try to insist he should get it both ways is hilarious.

                    I can’t have it both ways… that Biden both likes to take credit for Congressional actions, yet, simultaneously, does not actually control Congress. These are, apparently, according to you, mutually exclusive points.

                    Huh. That’s an interesting point of view you have.