Obama has proposed huge cuts in the Coast Guard's budget. We are a military family (Dad and brother served in the Air Force, sister in the Coast Guard). But we are all big fans of the Coast Guard. I have written a letter to Obama arguing that the Coast Guard remains the first line of defense for our nation, but, more than that, is generally the first branch of the military -- and one of the most effective -- onsite in disasters like Katrina and the Haiti earthquake.
I battle my right-wing relatives constantly, but I need help on this one. My sister, who retired as commander of CG Station Canaveral, just sent out this piece by the odious John Mica of Florida. Mica has put out a diatribe on The Hill's Congressional Blog that states:
This budget would reduce funds for port, waterway and coastal security by more than $100 million. It would also eliminate five Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST): specially trained anti-terrorist teams responsible for providing security at our largest ports. Included among the cuts would be the MSST station at our nation’s second largest port, the Port of New York/New Jersey.
Stay with me, y'all. I know some of you will be able to fight this with information you have off the top of your heads.
Mica's post goes on to say that:
The Administration’s proposal would also reduce the number of vessels, air facilities and aircraft available to the Coast Guard to carry out its missions. The fleet of large oceangoing cutters would be reduced by 1/3 before replacements for those vessels have been completed. In addition, five recently upgraded helicopters would be mothballed, reducing the Coast Guard’s anti-drug operations in Florida and the Caribbean and hamstringing its nationwide capability to respond to any at-sea terrorist events.
Most egregiously, the Obama budget would cut more than 1,100 Coast Guard military positions, yet it would grow an already bloated Transportation Security Administration (TSA) bureaucracy of over 60,000 by another 4,500 positions. This out of control, top heavy agency already has more than 3,000 administrative staff in its Washington, DC headquarters with average salaries over $100,000, and another 8,700 administrators and managers across the country.
I don't want you to argue, unless there's an effective position, that the budget cuts are important or necessary. I happen to love the Coast Guard and consider it the best of our military. But I am sure that there are arguments I can make against Mica, who I know has voted against Obama's national security appointees.
And I urge you to read his rant and pay special attention to the idiotic comments.
And anyone who can help with info that I can then share with my sister, please feel free to comment.
I apologize for the "homework" diary and its shortness, but I can spend all night doing the research I need to do to counteract this idiot, but I want to get this info to my sister asap.