"HOUSE GOP EYES CUTS TO PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER"

[Cha]

Reposted with author's permission..

On Twitter this morning, Matt Yglesias noted that House Republicans proposed slashing funding for tsunami monitoring and warnings. Almost immediately, Matt faced quite a bit of pushback from those arguing it's inappropriate to bring this up in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

For what it's worth, I think Matt is raising a fair point. Blaming Republicans for the disaster or its effects would obviously be crazy, but that's not the argument here. Rather, there's a proposal pending in Congress that has renewed relevance this morning, and it's not unreasonable to connect its importance with developments in the Pacific.

Honolulu's Star-Advertiser ran a report a few weeks ago that has a salience now that it might have lacked when first published.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110..._says.html

"The union representing National Weather Service workers says budget cuts proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives could jeopardize public safety and increase the severity of disaster losses in Hawaii.

"People could die. ... It could be serious," said Barry Hirshorn, Pacific region chairman of the National Weather Service Employees Organization.

Hirshorn said that if a continuing resolution proposed by the U.S. House is enacted -- triggering a 28 percent budget cut in the second half of the fiscal year -- Weather Service employees as well as those at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center could face furloughs and rolling closures.

"It would impact our ability to issue warnings," he said.

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) said the GOP's proposed cuts would "drastically" reduce the ability of officials to "alert our communities about imminent, dangerous events."

The National Weather Service's union added in a statement, "In the next hurricane, flood, tornado or wildfire, lives will be lost and people will ask what went wrong. Congress' cuts and the devastation to the well-being of our nation's citizens are dangerously wrong."

Fortunately, the proposed cuts haven't been approved -- Democrats oppose the GOP plan -- but Republicans are still fighting for them.

Is it wrong and/or exploitative to point this out? I don't think so. There's an intense budget fight underway in Washington, and critics of the Republicans' push for brutal domestic cuts have said the GOP plan would cause serious, real-world consequences. That happens to be true. The fact that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center would face furloughs and rolling closures if Republicans have their way matters, and today's tragedy helps drive home why it matters.

Put it this way: GOP lawmakers want to deliberately undercut tsunami monitoring, based on the notion that this spending is somehow unnecessary. Republicans thought this two weeks ago, one week ago, yesterday, and today. Chances are, they'll still support these cuts tomorrow, too.

Why should the topic suddenly be off-limits? There's a tsunami threat in the Pacific, and a tsunami-related proposal pending on Capitol Hill. To make the connection is not to be callous or disrespectful towards human suffering.

—Steve Benen 11:20 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (26)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archive...hp#1909255

What's Insensitive is the re-CONS greedy disregard for human life except if you're in the very tip top tax bracket like KOCHS and then you get a break.

[DFW]

Yeah, well, Hawai'i usually votes Democratic, so if its population gets wiped off the map, that's two less Democratic Senators the Republicans will have voting against them, and they can always import their pineapples from central and/or South America.

If there were a similar threat to Oklahoma, the Republicans would appropriate a sum bigger than the Pentagon's to save it.

[Cha]

(03-11-2011 12:32 PM)DFW Wrote:  Yeah, well, Hawai'i usually votes Democratic, so if its population gets wiped off the map, that's two less Democratic Senators the Republicans will have voting against them, and they can always import their pineapples from central and/or South America.

If there were a similar threat to Oklahoma, the Republicans would appropriate a sum bigger than the Pentagon's to save it.

Precisely..and the West(Left) Coast too.."who cares about them getting a warning when tsunamis are coming..let's show the country how really ugly and dirty we slash. Besides Pres Obama was born in Hawai'i..oops, I mean Kenya".

[RoyGBiv]

(03-11-2011 12:32 PM)DFW Wrote:  If there were a similar threat to Oklahoma, the Republicans would appropriate a sum bigger than the Pentagon's to save it.[/size]

I wouldn't count on that.

Immediately after the "May 3rd Tornado" in 1999, one of the most damaging storms in the state's history, funding to local emergency management centers was cut, the campaign against public use of funds for disaster assistance continued unabated, and several local land speculators who are active in Republican politics made millions by buying up destroyed property on the cheap and turning formerly affordable housing into sterile unaffordable housing developments, all with "tax credits" provided by Republican legislators.

Local media ignored all this, focusing on "feel good" stories about how we all worked together and helped thine neighbors. Yeah, they had to share scraps because government sure as hell wasn't helping with anything more.

Republicans love a disaster. It gives them the opportunity to engage in their theories of the wonders of unrestrained capitalism.

[RoyGBiv]

Inappropriate, my ass.

In the MIDST of a disaster is the only time most people will pay any damn attention.

[Cha]

(03-11-2011 12:32 PM)RoyGBiv Wrote:  Inappropriate, my ass.

In the MIDST of a disaster is the only time most people will pay any damn attention.

It's the best fucking time to bring it up. Who cares if republicons are whining about exposing their reps slashing emergency warning signals for tsunamis. Fuck 'em if they can't handle reality.

[azmouse]

Don't the Republicans ever get tired of being wrong?

[Cha]

(03-11-2011 12:49 PM)azmouse Wrote:  Don't the Republicans ever get tired of being wrong?

They don't care about anything except giving tax cuts to their campaign donors and making President Obama look bad..their corporate media base can cover most of their shit until it gets too much ..like in 2008.

[SeattleGirl]

And if lives are lost as a result of these cuts?

"So be it."

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate these people?

[Eponine]

What the hell? Are they insane? Wait, we're talking about Republicans aren't we? I just answered my own questions.

[NYC Liberal]

Shades of Jindal's mockery of volcano monitoring...disgusting.

[Cha]

(03-11-2011 06:00 PM)NYC Liberal Wrote:  Shades of Jindal's mockery of volcano monitoring...disgusting.

That's who it was! I remembered something about them mocking Volcanos erupting and then it happened.