Trump pledges clean air, water while planning huge EPA cuts

Tuesday night's presidential speech which some commentators are praising for basically avoiding overt race-baiting, yelling, dystopian predictions and other routine Trump behaviors included a pledge to preserve clean air and water 
 
- - and was followed , surprise, surprise! - - by today's news of potential massive cuts to the EPA which will produce dirtier air, water and land: 

The plan to slash EPA’s staff from its current level of 15,000 to 12,000, which could be accomplished in part through a buyout offer that could spur early retirements, is one of several changes for which the new administration has asked agency staff for comment by midday Wednesday. 

Other proposals, according to individuals briefed on the cuts who asked for anonymity because the decision is not yet final, include eliminating project grants to clean up brownfields, or abandoned industrial sites; a national electronic manifest system for hazardous waste; environmental justice programs and the Energy Star energy-efficiency program. Climate-change initiatives and funding for Alaskan native villages are also targeted for zero funding, according to one draft document. 

The agency’s Office of Research and Development could face a cut of up to 42 percent, according to an individual apprised of the administration’s plans.

Old Trump story - - tease with moderation, then bring down the hammer because that is what his Steve Bannon demands and the base voters want.

As Trump had said during a debate on Fox News he'd do at the EPA:

[Chris] WALLACE: Mr. Trump, your proposed tax cut would add $10 trillion to the nation's debt over 10 years, even if the economy grows the way that you say it will. You insist that you could make up for a good deal of that, you say, by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.

TRUMP: Correct.

WALLACE: Like what? And please be specific.

TRUMP: Department of Education. We're cutting Common Core. We're getting rid of Common Core. We're bringing education locally. Department of Environmental Protection. We are going to get rid are of it in almost every form. We're going to have little tidbits left but we're going to take a tremendous amount out.