Letter: Environmental panel is not the place for Gibbons

Monday, April 25, 2005 | 8:56 a.m.

Your newspaper carried an article on April 7 headlined, "Gibbons to work on environmental task force." It said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., will participate in a House task force charged with improving the National Environmental Policy Act.

Well, wasn't it just a few months back that Gibbons described those opposed to the war in Iraq as "liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals"? Didn't he suggest that using tree huggers, also known as environmentalists, as human shields in Iraq would have been a good idea? Interestingly, he made these comments despite polls showing a majority of Americans now think that the war in Iraq was a mistake.

What does it say about our Congress when a person that so openly displays contempt of environmentalists is selected to work on an environmental task force? In the article, Gibbons was quoted as having said that the task force's "ultimate goal is to improve our environmental laws." Oh, really? Pardon me for being so very skeptical.

In just the past few months, Gibbons has apologized for accusing persons of being communists. He has admitted to plagiarizing the speech that suggested environmentalists would have made good human shields. And now he's claiming that he is joining a task force that will "improve" the environment.

Rep. Gibbons, have you no shame?

ALGIRDAS LESKYS