Help my wife refute righty talking points

[ben_thayer]

Re: Funding cuts to Corps of Engineers /levee rebuilding projects. The fundies where she works are claiming that money was allocated, but that state/local officials dragged their feet and dithered around until St. George pulled the plug. Please-What's the REAL story? How can I help her deliver the smackdown?
Thanks...

[babylonsister]

1. To get you going, from another DUer a few days ago:

FEMA Disaster budget cuts info: rallying points
I started gathering up some articles having to do with the bush admin's budget cuts to FEMA's Project Impact - the pilot disaster preparedness campaign.

The VERY promising program started in 1997 but was cut PDQ by bushco.
IMO, all of these articles are terrific resources because they contain:

- names of people who had warned of the potential disasterousness of the budget cuts,
-people that had talked of what a lifesaver the program had been in their community
-politicians speaking out against the cuts
-journalists who had reported on the importance of Project Impact

I don't know the best way to go about it but I propose that these people should be *seriously* brought to the MSM's attention.
We should somehow get these people out there shouting "told ya" to the heavens.

Here is the quickie list but there is *so much more*

What do y'all think? What should we do?




Here's some of what I got from Googling ""Project Impact" 1997 budget cut"
....................
BellSouth Joins FEMA "Project Impact" Initiative for Disaster-Resistant Communities
"Project Impact provides a practical, cooperative approach to disaster preparedness that benefits the entire community," said Rod Odom, president of BellSouth Business Systems. "BellSouth is fully committed to supporting FEMA's initiatives, and our Business Continuity Service is an excellent example of how we can help local companies protect critical business operations from any type of disruption."
http://www.fema.gov/regions/iv/1998/r4_055.shtm


..............
FEMA Selects Burnsville as First Project Impact City in Minnesota Partnerships Are a Key to Building a Disaster Resistant Community

Project Impact is supported by a grant from FEMA. The amount of the grant will be approximately $300,000 to serve as "seed money" to support community wide disaster prevention. A kickoff event for the project will be held in February and the official designation from FEMA will happen in March.
http://www.fema.gov/regions/v/1999/r5_05.shtm
.......................
9/22/04
In North Carolina, no emergency power and an end to a program that saved millions

http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2004-09-22/cover2.html


Disaster in the making

As FEMA weathers a storm of Bush administration policy and budget changes, protection from natural hazards may be trumped by “homeland security”
http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2004-09-22/cover.html

Among emergency specialists, "mitigation"--the measures taken in advance to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters--is a crucial part of the strategy to save lives and cut recovery costs. But since 2001, key federal disaster mitigation programs, developed over many years, have been slashed and tossed aside. FEMA's Project Impact, a model mitigation program created by the Clinton administration, has been canceled outright. Federal funding of post-disaster mitigation efforts designed to protect people and property from the next disaster has been cut in half, and now, communities across the country must compete for pre-disaster mitigation dollars.

...............
Bush's budget cuts disaster preparedness funding
http://archives.thedaily.washington.edu/2001/030101/N9....
..................

(EXCELLENT Article

March 8, 2001
Bush Plan To Can "Project Impact" Could Be Disastrous
by Broderick Perkins

http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20010308_impact.htm
................................

April 6, 2001
Cantwell Says Republican Budget Fails to Meet National Responsibilities
http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/releases/budget4-6.html
........................
more more more

[ben_thayer]

3. Thanks Babs

I knew I could count on DU! Great links and FAST!!
:woohoo:

[rocktivity]

6. working link for

Bush's budget cuts disaster preparedness funding

:headbang:
rocknation

[rocktivity]

2. Nonsense--Bush needed the money for his fake Iraq invasion

and he pulled the funding rather than pull the tax cuts.

Also, the Army Corps of Engineers continued to work for a year until all the money was gone and got the levee 80% prepared--does that sound like "dithering" to you?

P.S. A Katrina Timeline site has just been put up.

:mad:
rocknation

[ben_thayer]

4. Wow.. More good stuff

Thanx Rock. You....ROCK!

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Thanks for posting, I need help, too...........

I know there's been a ton posted about Gov. Blanco requesting National Guard and emergency aid.

But I just got asked a question that I was stumped about.

How much of LA NG did she activate before and after the storm hit? And why wasn't she having them use helicopters for search and rescue immediately? Or was she? It's all a blur to me now. I know 5000 of her NG are in Iraq, but she has quite a bit more. So what did she specifically order, and when, regarding her troops?

Thanks in advance!!! You folks are brilliant!