The more you consider the budget proposals released by House Republicans this week, the more it is clear that they are not just designed to address the shortfall and balance the budget this year.

They are part of a deliberate ideological strategy to overhaul and dismantle state government using the budget problems as an excuse. Nowhere is this more evident that in the budget recommendations of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural and Economic Resources.

The proposals call for a 25 percent cut in the agencies under the committee's purview, most of it from programs that protect the environment, preserve public land, and make sure our drinking water is safe.

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