Bush Betrays Campaign Promise To Restore Parks

On the campaign trail in 2000, President Bush promised to "restore and renew" the National Park System and to eliminate its $5 billion maintenance backlog.  However, since taking office, only a small fraction of the promised funds have actually been delivered. Instead, the Bush administration has pushed for an acceleration of energy development and the construction of coal-fired power plants along park boundaries, and has opened up millions of acres of protected areas to road-building.

What's more, Bush has made repeated attempts to deceive the public about the extent of his administration's neglect, imposing a gag rule on the release of independent reports that document the effects of the chronic under-funding.  When the head of the Park Police tried to come forward about the budget crisis, the Bush administration suspended and tried to fire her.

from email summary prepared by: