Bush's environmental record certainly offers a contrast to the record and rhetoric of his father. During his 1988 campaign for the presidency, George Bush taunted his opponent, Michael Dukakis, for ignoring environmental problems in his home state of Massachusetts. The elder Bush rented a boat and took reporters for a ride in Boston Harbor, where he ridiculed Dukakis for the pollution problems in the harbor. By allowing industry to write its own regulations in Texas and escape federal mandates, George W. has contradicted positions taken by his father, who campaigned in 1988 as the environmental president. Once deadlines go by, once they pass, the penalties are severe.
American heritage is precious.
There is a new breeze blowing, a new current of concern for the environment. That may be the case. But so far, Bush can't claim any major achievements that prove he believes that to be true. And finally, while his fellow Republican governors are backing dramatic increases in spending on parks and recreation facilities, Bush has opposed new park acquisition at a time when the state's park system is woefully underfunded and overcrowded. Bush's lack of attention to the environment was underscored on Oct. 7, when Houston surpassed Los Angeles as the city with the worst air quality in America.