Green Scissors Report

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Save $2.8 Billion
Protect the
Environment

***
Government must learn from experience,
and act so that American taxpayers and the
environment are not burdened with
handouts, bailouts, or cleanups.
***

(continued from previous page)
• Programs that subsidize activities subjecting taxpayers to excessive financial risk and liability.
The record high water levels in the Great Lakes during 1985-86 caused millions of dollars in damage to
shoreline property in Michigan and seven other states. Taxpayers are footing the bill for much of the liability
under the National Flood Insurance Program. The precise amount is difficult to determine because government
records do not differentiate between damage caused by coastal flooding and by inland flooding.
• Programs that simply are not needed.
A proposal to build a $300 million highway bypass in Traverse City, and another one in Petoskey costing
$70 million, proceed apace despite the absence of proven need, the potential damage to natural resources, and
the persistent and vigorous public opposition in both communities.
The time has come to end business as usual. Green Scissors Michigansupporters, who come from different political perspectives, believe the stakes are too high to let ideology or petty politics keep us from finding
areas of agreement.
Taxpayers and "deficit hawks" support these recommendations to shrink the size of government, save billions of dollars, and stop government activities they believe are economically unjustified and fail to give taxpayers a fair return on their investment.
Environmentalists support these recommendations to cut programs that they believe harm communities and
the environment. In addition, a growing number of environmental groups advocate linking environmental with
economic goals in order to break out of gridlock and make progress on seemingly intractable issues.
Although not all of the organizations that contributed to this report have the expertise to evaluate or
endorse every proposal, their enthusiastic support for Green Scissors Michigan indicates a willingness to consider innovative, even controversial, ways to reduce federal and state spending and subsidies.
National Campaign Enters New State-Based Phase

Green Scissors Michiganis an extension of the national Green Scissors Campaign that began in 1993, and now is led by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common $ense, and the U.S. Public Interest Research
Group.
The national campaign has produced annual studies that have helped to eliminate 11 unneeded federal programs, saving taxpayers approximately $20 billion. The Green Scissors '97 report, issued in February, proposes cutting 57 programs in order to save $36 billion.
The national campaign has supported cuts across a broad spectrum of federal programs. They include farm
subsidies in the Great Plains, highway construction in the South, water projects in California, mining subsidies
in Montana, energy subsidies in Illinois, foreign aid for an unneeded dam in Nepal, and grazing subsidies
across the West.
The Green Scissors Michiganreport, which uses the research tools and techniques developed during the
national campaign, is the first time the Green Scissors approach has been applied for one state. $



		Save $2.8 Billion Protect the Environment
		Save $2.8 Billion Protect the Environment	* Government must learn from experience, and act so that American taxpayers and the environment are not burdened with handouts, bailouts, or cleanups. *
(continued from previous page) • Programs that subsidize activities subjecting taxpayers to excessive financial risk and liability. The record high water levels in the Great Lakes during 1985-86 caused millions of dollars in damage to shoreline property in Michigan and seven other states. Taxpayers are footing the bill for much of the liability under the National Flood Insurance Program. The precise amount is difficult to determine because government records do not differentiate between damage caused by coastal flooding and by inland flooding. • Programs that simply are not needed. A proposal to build a $300 million highway bypass in Traverse City, and another one in Petoskey costing $70 million, proceed apace despite the absence of proven need, the potential damage to natural resources, and the persistent and vigorous public opposition in both communities. The time has come to end business as usual. *Green Scissors Michigansupporters, who come from different political perspectives, believe the stakes are too high to let ideology or petty politics keep us from finding areas of agreement. Taxpayers and "deficit hawks" support these recommendations to shrink the size of government, save billions of dollars, and stop government activities they believe are economically unjustified and fail to give taxpayers a fair return on their investment. Environmentalists support these recommendations to cut programs that they believe harm communities and the environment. In addition, a growing number of environmental groups advocate linking environmental with economic goals in order to break out of gridlock and make progress on seemingly intractable issues. Although not all of the organizations that contributed to this report have the expertise to evaluate or endorse every proposal, their enthusiastic support for Green Scissors Michigan indicates a willingness to consider innovative, even controversial, ways to reduce federal and state spending and subsidies. National Campaign Enters New State-Based Phase*
	*Green Scissors Michiganis an extension of the national Green Scissors Campaign that began in 1993, and now is led by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common $ense, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The national campaign has produced annual studies that have helped to eliminate 11 unneeded federal programs, saving taxpayers approximately $20 billion. The Green Scissors '97 report, issued in February, proposes cutting 57 programs in order to save $36 billion. The national campaign has supported cuts across a broad spectrum of federal programs. They include farm subsidies in the Great Plains, highway construction in the South, water projects in California, mining subsidies in Montana, energy subsidies in Illinois, foreign aid for an unneeded dam in Nepal, and grazing subsidies across the West. The Green Scissors Michigan*report, which uses the research tools and techniques developed during the national campaign, is the first time the Green Scissors approach has been applied for one state. $