Question of the week.

  Federalism is defined as shared government between a central government and regional units of government.  Our discussion will be centered around what areas should the Federal and State governments have more or less powers over.  IE- environment, healthcare, education, welfare, money, etc....

  This discussion is going to be a hot topic.  We are already getting into these issues as we looked at constitutions and where we would add or remove amendments to set limitations in a federal government.  With forty students participating, the soapbox is getting pretty crowded.

  I'm going to stick to one issue here and that will be Environmental regulations.  Its my opinion that the federal government needs to have the means to set the minimum standards emissions controls, pollutant levels, etc.... .
The reason I say this has to deal with the fact that many of these pollutants effect more than just a State in general.  Emissions from a chemical plant put in a water way, can effect people several states away.

  Now that doesn't mean that a State can't impose greater restrictions on those Industries located within its borders, but an individual state should not be able to enforce those same restrictions on a State that is meeting Federal standards, but is "upstream" from a state.  This should also include air and possibly aquifers.

  I think where we get into trouble is when a Federal Government instills standards regarding environmental impact within a state that are based on science gathered from sources outside of a state and don't truly reflect actual impact.  Alaska is a prime example of this.  Many times it has been argued that pipelines and oil drilling adversely effects polar bear or moose habitat.  Yet no real effects can be noted.  People unfamiliar with the regions will have you believe like wise.  It has less to do with actual impact than it does with politics against oil. 

   Here in Montana we see it with wolf populations.  Our wolf population is in a specific region and has grown to the point where nature can't meet its feed requirements.  So the wolves turn to livestock as an easy food source.  This has significant economic impact in those regions.  Here is a place where State should be able to set environmental controls.  It does not effect the surrounding states, but can be of vital importance to a states economy.

  I'm starting to get off track and up on my soapbox.  So I'll leave you with this question, What service should your State have authority over that Federal government should not?