Powell and Ashcroft Warn of Fallout From Senate Spending Proposal

[Whoa_Nelly]

Powell and Ashcroft Warn of Fallout From Senate Spending Proposal

By CARL HULSE

Published: October 30, 2003

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 — Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft have raised serious objections to the Senate spending plan for their departments, saying the measure could undermine American counterterrorism efforts and diplomacy.

The concerns raised by the two cabinet officials over the $37 billion spending proposal add new complications to the push by Republican Congressional leaders to wrap up the remaining appropriations bills, now almost a month overdue. The House and Senate are preparing this week to pass another temporary spending bill that would keep all federal agencies open past Friday, when the current stopgap measure expires.

In separate letters to House leaders this month, Mr. Powell and Mr. Ashcroft said the spending proposal now awaiting Senate action would hinder the work of their departments, result in layoffs, and, in the case of the federal prison system, lead to the closing of some units and crowding at others.

<snip>
An analysis by House staff of the allocation for the Justice Department in the Senate proposal predicted substantial layoffs if it were to be adopted, including staff reductions of almost 500 agents for the Drug Enforcement Administration, hundreds of deputy United States marshals and thousands of federal prison workers. The analysis also predicted the closing of 10 to 15 correctional locations. It said the bill also failed to include the $513 million sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the hiring of 1,265 new agents and analysts.

more...
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/30/politics/30SPEN.html?ex=1068181200&en=aab4fb613fd3254a&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[Dagaz]

1. Sounds good to me

Why do we have a drug enforcement administration anyway?

[Devlzown]

3. Closing prisons and fewer

agents and analysts. What, again, am I supposed to be concerned about?

[Voltaire99]

6. Get a job, DEA welfare queens!

No more free lunch for those freeloaders.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. This sounds serious to me

It sound like we really need to start cutting back Social Security and Medicare in favor of these more much more vital law enforcement priorities!

:dunce:

[skyzics]

4. Why not disband the CIA while they are at it..?

And the FBI?

[bpilgrim]

5. WALL STREET SAYS

DOWN SIZE


more...
http://bbs.GlobalFreePress.com/coppermine

:evilgrin:

peace

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. If they just let out all the pot smokers

they wouldn't have to worry about overcrowding.

Legalizing pot and hemp could solve a lot of problems, including our dependence on foreign oil.

[stlsaxman]

8. just wondered about the foreign oil part of your post-

do you mean a whole lot more folks would be too stoned to drive anywhere?

heheh

Seriously, how would hemp help with aleviating our dependancce on oil?

saxman

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Here's just a couple of examples of how hemp

Could end our dependence on foreign oil, aside from getting people to stay home more:

Alternative Energy

THE FACTS ABOUT HEMP

5. According to the Department of Energy and Dr. Brooks Kelly, Hemp as a biomass fuel producer requires the least specialized growing and processing procedures of all hemp products. The hydrocarbons in hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to liquid fuels and gas. Development of biofuels could significantly reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and nuclear power.

6. Hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Almost half of the agricultural chemicals used on U.S. crops are applied to cotton.

7. Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce waste-water contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and it's creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical by-products.

<snip>

10. Eco-friendly hemp can replace most toxic petro-chemical products. Research is being done to use hemp in manufacturing biodegradable plastic products: plant-based cellophane, recycled plastic mixed with hemp for injection-molded products, and resins made from the oil, to name just a very few examples.


http://www.earthclubfactory.com/altenergy/hempfacts.htm

[MaineDem]

10. Tommy Chong or Ken Lay

Which one really deserves to be jailed?