Eli Lehrer argues that ending subsidies to high-risk developments, as Florida is about to do, presents a successful small-government environmental preservation measure that also benefits taxpayers.
The governor of Florida is about to sign legislation that "ends state-subsidized insurance for people who build in high-risk coastal areas seaward of an 'Coastal Construction Control Line.'"
Eli Lehrer discusses the move from the point of view of shrinking government to achieve environmental success.
The new bill has its precedents in federal law, including the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and President Reagan's National Forest Wilderness Areas, which focus on preservation, and preserves wetlands, wildlife habitats and natural storm barriers and buffers, while reducing the financial and environmental burden on taxpayers who live inland.
While government regulations and subsidies are necessary to protect air quality and keep pollution under control, reducing the role of government in providing subsidies for high-risk developments benefits both the environment and taxpayers, argues Lehrer.
Read the full story: Going green, shrinking the state: Florida leads the way
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