The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, July 27, 1982-Page 5
WHAT'S WA TT DOING TO AMERICA?
Our troubled interior
Editor's note- Controversial
decisions to ease various enriron-
mental laws have marked the term
of Interior Secretary James Watt.
Last week, his approral of a plan to
open rirtually the entire U.S.
coastline for commercial oil and gas
drilling brought the secretary back
into the critical spotlight. The
following is a profile of the man
ratel a scourge by enrironmen-
talists and a champion of fr"'
mark>t ideals by Republican sp-
porters.
WASHINGTON (AP)-His name is
emblazoned on bumper stickers, pro
and con. As secretary of the interior, he
has personally rejunenated the nation's
environmental groups-while he's fat-
tened the coffers of the Republican par-
ty.
Like him or not, James Watt is
making his voice heard across
America. Stories about the man
abound:
" At dinner in a Washington
restaurant, a gray-haired man ap-
proached Watt's table and quietly han-
ded the interior secretary a note signed
by six other diners: "I and my fellow
diners thoroughly disagree with all
you're doing."
" During a recent trip to New York,
the secretary's car got caught in a tun-
nel on its way to the airport. Watt was
so overcome with air polution that he
couldn't work on the return plane trip.
"It will have no effect on his legislative
policies," an aide said.
" Early in his term, Watt told a group
about a recent raft trip down the
Colorado River. Watt grew so bored by
the fourth day that, in his words, "we
were praying for helicopters. And they
came."
" He reversed his personal Interior
Deoartment seal to make the buffalo
face right instead of left and gave top
aides lapel pins to match. "To make a
philosophical point," his spokesman
says.
The lanky, balking native of
Wheatland, Wyo., is the third most
sought after speaker in the Republican
party, after President Reagan and Vice
President George Bush. Republican
National Committee press secretary
Jennifer Hillings said that since last
January, Watt has made 60 appearan-
ces for the GOP. Last year alone he
raised more than $400,000, she said.
ON THE OTHER hand, practically
every environmental group has enjoyed
a surge in membership since Watt took
over at Interior. The Sierra Club repor-
ted its ranks grew more than in any
year since it was founded-in 1892.
James Gajus Watt, 43, steward of the
nation's natural resources, villain of
the environmental movement, darling
of the conservatives.
His mission, in his own words: "To
baring about changes needed to restore
America's Greatness."
Watt's manner is persuasive. But his
actions and words have angered
Democrats and Republicans alike.
IN A CARTOON strip by Marlette of
The Charlotte Observer, Watt is depic-
ted as the man who makes Bambi a
trophy on his office wall.
One of Watt's most severe critics is
Nathaniel Reed, his boss when Watt
served as director of Interior's bureau
AP PI
AS SECRETARY of the Interior, James Watt has angered environmental groups, opened millions of square miles to oil
and gas exploration, and reversed his personal Interior department's seal to make the buffalo face right, in line with his
own personal politics.
of outdoor recreation.
"He's a bright, articulate, God-
fearing man," said Reed, who was
assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and
parks during the Nixon and Ford years.
"He's also narrow, vindictive, arrogant
and bullheaded. He shows a
remarkable lack of respect for his
fellow man and fellow workers. He
looks you in the eye and lies. The
Department of Interior is in shambles."
PETITIONS WITH 1 million
signatures calling for his removal cir-
culated on Capitol Hill. Government
auditors told Watt he had to repay at
least $4,300 for his unauthorized use of
taxpayers' money to throw Christmas
parties at the ancestralhhome of Robert
E.Lee.
He became only the second Cabinet
member in history to be cited for con-
tempt of Congress. A House committee
did so after Watt refused to turn over
some documents to the legislature.
Bumper stickers proclaim "Watt? Me
Worry?"
The secretary has his own bumper
sticker: "Watt: An answer, not a
question."
Watt on Watt: "Because I feel so
strongly about issues, I project strong
feelings."
DESPITE THE controversy, White
House spokesman David Gergen said
Watt not only has Reagan's confidence
but, "the president believes Jim is one
of his most loyal supporters. I never
UNISEX
Long or Short Haircuts
by Professionals at ...
DASCOLA STYLISTS
Liberty off State ........668-9329
East U. at South U........662-0354
Arborland ..............971-9975
Maple Village ...........761-2733
heard the president say a bad word
about him."
However, administration officials
who don't want to be identified say
Watt's feisty nature is controversial
even within the White House.
"He represents the president's
ideals," said one top aide, who asked
not to be identified. "But I have trouble
with his style. Yet he is very good at
holding the core Reagan supporters
together."
RNC CHAIRMAN Richard Richards
describes Watt as "a spellbinder," and
he says of his popularity on the fund-
raising circuit: "A lot come to hear him
because he's controversial, andwest of
the Mississippi, they like what he
says."
A lot of people don't like what he says,
or does.
A fall 1981 Associated Press-NBC.poll
on environmental issues, the latest
taken on the subject, showed that 70
percent of those respondents with
opinions about Watt disapproved of the
way he was handling his job..
WHEN ASKED to choose between
protecting the enfironment or building
an oil refinery or pipeline, a majority
chose the environment. the same was
true when people were asked whether
they favored easing environmental
laws in order to reduce industry costs.
As interior secretary, Watt overseas
350 million acres of federal land, in-
cluding more than half of the West. He
is custodian of the national parks and
wilderness, fish, wildlife and en-
dangered species. He grants oil and
strip-mining leases and determines
policy for air and water pollution. He
manages Indian affairs, grazing land
and dam building.
In his 16-month reign, he Chas
proposed an ambitious schedule that
will open virtually the entire U.S.
coastline for oil and gas drilling over
the next five years; imposed a
moritorium on buying parkland,
declaring that the government needs to
spend money taking better care of the
parks it already owns; engaged in a
running battle with Congress over the
question of oil and gas exploration in
wilderness areas.
He also cut 57 percent from the enfor-
cement budget for the agency respon-
sible for regulating strip miring of coal
and boosted dramatically the amount of
mineral resources leased on federal
lands.
See WATT, Page 10
There once was a man from Irvine,
Who could not pick the best place to dine.
He'd consult all his friends,
But all talk would soon end Lunch 11:30 to 1:15
'Cuz his friends think the League's just divine! Dinner 5:00 to 7:15
CS. SPECIAL LOW PRICES FOR
STUDENTS
Send your League Limerick to:
Te CHgManager. Michigan League
Ld 1ii u Gu i911 North University
Next to Hill Auditorium You will receive 2 free dinner
Located in the heart of the campus, tickets if your limerick is used in
t is the heart of the campus one of our ads.