Actions, not tweets, are damaging America

While the focus in the mainstream media and on social media remains fixed on our president's abuse of his Twitter account and the number of days he spends golfing, his political appointees have been deconstructing his predecessor's achievements, particularly with regards to environmental protections. Over the holidays, his administration:

• overturned regulations on hydraulic fracturing that tightened standards for well construction and wastewater management to protect our precious aquifers and waterways.

• weakened rules to prevent another horrendous oil spill like the Deepwater Horizon disaster from occurring in our oceans.

• ended policies to protect migratory birds from deaths due to wind turbines, oil waste pits and power lines.

• approved mining leases near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Wilderness area for Ivanka and Jared's landlord, the billionaire owner of a Chilean mining firm with a lousy environmental record.

• reduced fines for nursing homes that harm or put residents at risk for injury.

• scrapped a proposal to underwrite a major infrastructure project to improve rail service in New York and New Jersey, the U.S.'s busiest rail corridor.

• attempted to undermine the accuracy of the Census by adding a question about citizenship. The Census is intended to count everyone and, since 1950, has not included a citizenship question.

So whether you are an elderly or disabled person, a rural homeowner who depends on groundwater, a person living near the Gulf of Mexico or the Alaska coastline, a commuter, or someone who appreciates the beauty of a wilderness area or understands that our representation in Congress is based on an accurate Census count, know that you are under attack by the current administration.

And remember that elections have consequences beyond having an insufferable buffoon in the White House.

Joanne E. Zienty

Wheaton