Republicans Are a Serious Impediment to Progress

[Merrill]

The President's budget, delivered to Congress on Monday,
presents a vision for America's public lands that is so out of
touch with America's conservation values as to be an altered
state of reality.

It proposes to sell off National Forest and BLM lands; cut
deeply into funding for our National Wildlife Refuges and the
National Landscape Conservation System (National Monuments) and
eviscerate funding for endangered species, and land acquisition
programs. And, oh yes, the budget assumes $7 billion in revenue
from oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

This may be President Bush's vision for America, but it's not
ours. Click here to take immediate action:
Like burning the furniture to keep warm

For the second consecutive year, the President's Forest Service
budget includes a proposal to sell off up to $800 million of
National Forest lands and up to 950,000 acres of BLM lands.
Similar Forest Service and BLM proposals announced last year met
with strong and widespread opposition from WildAlert
subscribers, anglers, hunters, locally-elected officials,
businesses, governors, and both sides of the aisle in Congress.

Wildlife Refuges
Cut to the bone

Already in a funding crisis that is forcing a shut down of
refuges, the National Wildlife Refuge System would get just
$396 million of the $700 million needed to fully fund the
nation's 545 wildlife refuges.

The President's meager funding level for our nation's refuges
fails to address the funding crisis that has crippled the Refuge
System's ability to manage and restore wildlife habitat, safely
maintain facilities and provide quality education and outdoor
recreation programs for millions of visitors each year.

National Landscape Conservation System
Lowest funding ever for Western Wildlands

The budget once again proposes increased funding for the Bureau
of Land Management's oil and gas program - while simultaneously
cutting funds for sound stewardship of the BLM's most treasured
lands and waters.

This year, the funding for the BLM's National Landscape
Conservation System is expected to fall to an all time low of
just $32.5 million. Places like Colorado's Canyons of the
Ancients National Monument, which features the highest density
of archeological sites in the nation, are already operating on a
barebones budget.

The continued budget shortfall could mean that Canyons of the
Ancient's archeological sites will continue to be plagued by
vandalism and the area's public services will continue to fail
to adequately meet public demand.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund
Promise unfulfilled

This program has helped protect public lands, create local
parks, and protect open space throughout the country. Congress
may authorize up to $900 million annually from offshore oil and
gas leases for LWCF, but under the President's plan, LWCF's
state program is zeroed out again for the third year in a row,
while the Federal program is reduced to only $58 million this
year. Of that amount, less than half would go to the actual
purchase of land - a 93% decrease from the FY 2002 request.

Furthermore, for the first time in the history of the LWCF the
president's budget zeroes out money for the LWCF projects within
lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. And while state
and local governments struggle to create parks and preserve open
spaces that are threatened by sprawling development, the
administration has again proposed to eliminate all LWCF
stateside matching grants to assist them.

National treasures from the Everglades in Florida and Denali in
Alaska to the parks in our own neighborhoods will suffer from
loss of funds for expanding and consolidating parks, refuges and
forests.

National Parks
A bright spot in the President's Budget

On a positive note, the President's budget for the National Park
System suggests an unprecedented $258 million (14.3%) increase
over requested fiscal year 2006 levels. Such a funding level
would allow the Park Service to add nearly 500 permanent
employees and several thousand seasonal employees, enhancing
resource protection and visitor experience.

What you can do

We need make sure Congress understands just how dismal this
budget proposal is.

http://action.wilderness.org/wilderness/home

[Merrill]

1. Republicans Have Gone Insane

"That's why the White House needs to come out of its hole in the ground. The New York Times reported that Bush administration officials "asserted Friday that the United States had played a leading role in studying and combating climate change," and quoted Energy Secretary Sam Bodman stating that "We are a small contributor to the overall, when you look at the rest of the world, so it's really got to be a global solution."

How stupid do they think we are? We're five percent of the global population and contribute a quarter of all global warming pollution. This administration is fast-tracking dirty coal plants and has refused to limit CO2 emissions, let alone encourage conservation and efficiency measures that could reduce pollution and benefit our economy along the way.

No more words Mr. President. It's time for action. Enough posturing, half measures and stalling. Enough token grants for further research. We know too much already not to have addressed this issue with every ounce of American ingenuity and leadership.

If you were told your children were in harms way, you would do something, you'd do everything necessary to protect them. Well, that time has come. A planetary emergency is upon us. We must absorb that warning, we must hear those words and we must act now."

stopglobalwarming.org

[elocs]

2. Yes, what we need is absolute, one power, Democratic dictatorial rule.

Then all of America would be goodness and light, a Nirvana on earth. We know what is best for everybody, so they should just yield to our higher-powerness. There is nothing to worry about since we would never, never become corrupt. But then I am sure that Republicans believe the same thing about themselves.

Let me add that I have voted and supported Democratic candidates since my first vote in 1972. I don't vote for Republicans or support them. That being said, we need some kind of opposition to keep us honest. Also, we believe in giving people a choice even when they disagree with us. That is what makes the Democratic Party democratic.