bushgang starving the Natl. Weather Serv. - no shit!

[donsu]

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/11402381.htm


Budget shortfalls threaten routine programs of the National Weather Service


-snip-

"According to an internal NWS document obtained by the National Weather Service Employees Organization, `The reductions in the fiscal year 2005 budget for the National Weather Service will have critical impact on its vital life-saving mission,'" said Richard Hirn, the employee organization's general counsel and lobbyist.

"`These impacts will be felt throughout the nation by deterioration in NWS performance measures,'" the document stated - notably tornado warning lead times and detection, Hirn said.

-snip-

Congressional leaders said that the NOAA was unlikely to get more money in the 2006 budget but that if the NWS faces critical shortfalls, it's up to NOAA administrators to find money elsewhere in their budget and divert it to the weather service.

-snip-

With money short for maintaining existing equipment, with training budgets cut and staffing tight, people in and out of the weather service wonder whether even current standards can last.

-snip-

AND HERE IS THE KICKER

According to the Commercial Weather Services Association, the umbrella group representing private weather companies, 95 percent of Americans get their weather information from private providers.

Using taxpayer money to provide routine forecasts is "unnecessary and duplicative," said Steven Root, the association's president.
-snip-
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well, you know, if they do away with the NWS, all that money can go to Rummy's new-age military.

[HereSince1628]

1. Yah, Lets have Homeland Security!

I probably have a 100,000,000 times higher chance of being injured by a tornado than I do in a terrorist attack. Shit yes, cut the staff of the Dousman Wisconsin NWS office and send the money to paint buildings on a US airbase in Kyrgistan.

[gizmo1979]

2. just wait until a tornado kills abunch of people

and see who ends up with the blame.I bet it won't be congress.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. And just where do the private services get their data from?

[napi21]

4. Valid point! I know ALL my local news chanels, when giving the

weather info, always state...according to information gathered by the National Weather Service...

I agree with eliminating duplicate efforts everywhere, but reducing the abilities of the information source sure seems stupid to me!