Using Fires to Blow Political Smoke (forestry bill)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

For several days in the nation's capital, there's been lots of fiddling on fire-prevention policy while California burns. Actually the fiddling has gone on for years, which is one reason we can't see for all the smoke.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out how to prevent the kinds of roaring fires that are currently swallowing homes and taking lives. If we're going to be dumb enough to continue building in high-fire-danger areas, brush needs to be cleared to prevent the spread of killer blazes.

But we don't do it, because our attention spans are shorter than the time it takes to eat a bag of Cheetos. Someone can be burned out of house and home, only to move straight back to Tinder Box Boulevard as soon as possible and wait for history to repeat itself.

Finally, though, we've got Washington's attention. Not long after the first house went up in flames last week, various elected officials and Bush administration surrogates said it was time to cross the Ts on the president's Healthy Forests fire-prevention initiative. For my money, the most spirited cheerleader was Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), who sent out a press release with the title:

"Wake Up and Smell the Smoke"

"Given the devastating effects" of the fires, Pombo wrote, "it would be irresponsible not to act on this bill."

Nice work, Pombo. But wake up and look at the facts.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez29oct29,1,4811717.column?coll=la-home-headlines

[zbdent]

1. Wasn't there some flak a few years back about the people who

decided to live in areas where flooding periodically occurs?

Something about "Why should the govt. take my hard-earned money and give it to the idiots who decided to live there????" from the righties?

There's another bright, shining example of "compassionate conservativism".

[E_Zapata]

2. Oh, it's a double win

And Arnie gets to run to washington and come back with a big check and starting handing out stacks of dollars to future bush voters the same way the CIA bribes the taliban.

And californians can say, "wooo, thank god we got a governor with connections."

[realFedUp]

4. Maybe he can find the $60 plus million it took to get him into office

:eyes:

[Sal316]

3. Here's some interesting news from May on this

Big boost in USFS wildfire budget likely to wait another year
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2003/may/05/050510538.html

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Congress is unlikely to give the Forest Service all the money it needs up front to more efficiently fight wildfires on national forests this summer and fall, a top Bush administration official said Monday.

But faster, more detailed accounting of firefighting costs this season should help persuade lawmakers to provide more money in the near future, said Mark Rey, U.S. agriculture undersecretary in charge of the Forest Service.

<snip>

Last year, officials spent $1.6 billion to fight fires - four times the budgeted amount. Much of the spending was borrowed from accounts meant for other objectives, such as restoration, reduction of hazardous fuels and research.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was among those pushing to increase spending on the National Fire Plan to $3.1 billion in the coming year. But last month, House-Senate budget negotiators trimmed that to $2.6 billion.