Political Quotes

“You are taking the position that we here in Washington have to be the ``big brother'' to protect 260 million Americans. I do not think that the county commissioners of Broward County, FL, or the city council of Providence, RI, are insensitive to the desires of their citizens. They are the ones who wake up every morning in that community. They are the ones who daily deal with these issues which are, in many cases, difficult balancing questions. Yes, you could have cheaper garbage rates in Broward County if everybody just hauled it to the local hole in the ground and dumped it. But you would also be putting your water supply at risk. And so the commissioners of that community made a judgment that they were prepared to ask their citizens to pay higher garbage fees in order to be able to dispose of their solid waste in a more environmentally appropriate manner. Why should they not be making that decision as opposed to our telling them it is a decision that will be unavailable to them?”