Now that the ACA decision is behind us and we finally can return our focus to moving FORWARD for the public good, it’s time for Congress to get to work on passing emergency funding for wildfire management, including protecting the well-being of our brave firefighters.
Here's one simple, deadly fact everyone needs to know: the Tea Party & the Republicans have heavily exacerbated the unfolding wildfire disaster in Colorado and other western states by gutting the funding for wildfire management, prevention, and mitigation. According to Common Dreams:
Fire experts at wildfiretoday.com are warning today that firefighters across the US are beginning to feel the effects of federal budget cuts to firefighting programs -- making it more and more difficult to fight and prevent forest fires ahead of what is shaping up to be another record setting wildfire season.
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"The economic downturn and a Congress dominated by Republicans who want to shrink the role of government make it extremely complicated to divert more funds to forest fighting," Suzanne Goldenberg reports at the Guardian/UK today.
This is the Tea Party vision for America unfolding in real time: let it burn. But this is not our vision, and we cannot stand for it. Progressives believe in a government that provides for the security of its people in all forms: security against medical bankruptcy, security against foreign threats, security against predatory capitalism, and security against loss of life, home, and liberty. The people of Colorado and the Mountain West need this vision to become a reality now. They don’t have time for politics.
We need fire management funding restored immediately, free from any demands for finding other cuts to offset these costs. Emergencies aren’t the time for grandstanding, and the American people will not stand for it.
If you can find the, please contact your Representatives, Senators, and the White House to ask for immediate action on emergency funding for wildfire management.
Contact House Members: http://www.house.gov/...
Contact Senators: http://www.senate.gov/...
Contact the White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
The unfolding disaster has resulted in part from the 2010 budget cuts, and we owe it to our fellow Americans who are in harm’s way to take action to restore and expand that funding.
I made contact on all fronts before writing this diary, and I sincerely thank those who are doing and have done the same.
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