oh fer crying out loud

If the Detroit News had its way, all environmental good behavior would be strictly voluntary and we could do away with such nasties as the Clean Water Act.

The shipping industry has had more than 20 years to come up with a voluntary solution to ballast water pollution -- thank goodness Michigan finally had the guts to call its bluff.

One hundred eighty invasive species in the Great Lakes...and a new one every nine months on average. Billions of dollars in economic damage. Shipping industry, won't you please voluntarily do something? Please?

It's no surprise that Gov. Jennifer Granholm must travel the world to get new business for Michigan. State government has a bad habit of giving existing business the back of its hand.

The most recent case in point is the Great Lakes shipping industry. The shippers and port owners have filed suit in Federal Court, contending that Michigan's fees, inspections and permit requirements for international vessels are a barrier to international and interstate commerce. They have a point.

Worse, shippers and port operators say Michigan officials have been uncooperative to the point of being "vindictive" in working out a compromise on the state's shipping regulations.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/OPINION01/703270309/1008

Comments

[Eric B.]

It's hilarious, on some level, that the News never pays attention to other industries that are getting the backhand from shipping ... like tourism and fisheries.

But, it's been my experience that nuanced thought isn't really the News' bag.