Great Lakes Cash 'Critical' — Really?

In 2010, Michigan State University received $1.5 million in taxpayer dollars from the “Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,” a federal initiative. According to MSU, the money paid for researchers to “work with physicians and other health care providers in Michigan to provide them with the tools and information they need to identify at-risk patients and inform them of the benefits and potential dangers of eating fish.”

President Donald Trump has been criticized in the media for proposing cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. These include money for the programs and grants covered under the GLRI rubric. One newspaper headline read: “Trump to Great Lakes: Drop dead.” U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said the spending was critical and the cuts outrageous.