Bush Kills Exta $150M for 2002 Grants

[webteam]

President Bush Kills Extra $150M for Fire Grants, $100M in Communications Improvements
http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/2002/0813.html

SANDRA SOBIERAJ
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush blocked $5.1 billion that Congress had approved for homeland security, including millions of dollars for the nation's firefighters, and scolded lawmakers on Tuesday for lumping in unrelated projects he didn't want.

``A limited and focused government is essential to a growing economy and if the Congress won't show spending restraint, I intend to enforce spending restraint,'' Bush said Tuesday, announcing his decision at an economic forum he convened in Texas.

Democrats representing New York and the site of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center site expressed strong disagreement with his action. Included in the $5.1 billion that Bush rejected was $90 million for long-term health monitoring of emergency workers at Ground Zero, and $150 million for equipment and training grants to some of the nation's 18,000 fire departments with requests pending.

``Today, the president has slapped many of America's heroes across the face,'' said Democrat Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes lower Manhattan.


FULL STORY
http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/2002/0813.html

PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT BELOW. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR LOCATION AND RANK IF POSSIBLE.

[LB101]

I didn't realize this was part of the 5 billion. I thought it was a separate bill. Specifically, a supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 4775.

This is a sad to hear.

[Gunga Din]

If you want intelligent conversation on this subject, someone needs to post the ENTIRE bill that Bush vetoed.

Typical Congress loaded the bill down with tons of "pork barrel" unrelated politics. As a whole, the bill would have done more harm than good.

I'm also sorry to see the extra funding for Fire Departments go away. However, Make sure you put the blame where it belongs, and thats not on Bush

Gunga Din

[webteam]

The contents of the entire bill are with the story.

http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/2002/0813.html

WebTeam

[ffemtmjb]

Just cranked off a message to my Rep and Senators asking them to immediately develop and act on legislation that would restore the supplemental funding to the '02 FIRE Act without all of the pork that was contained in the previous legislation. I'd encourage everyone else to do the same. Don't know if it will help, but seems worth a try.

[toddmcbr]

To the WebTeam:

Is there anything we can do about this to get this money back in the Fire Act. Is there anyway congress can get a separate bill with this included.

If I need to write my senator I will. Just tell us what we should be doing. This is really going to hurt the Fire Service.

TM

[webteam]

Congress is currently on recess. But certainly if you called your representatives about trying to do something, anything is possible. The money was cut as part of a larger spending segment of the Homeland Security bill.

WebTeam

[engel702]

We are not happy with this move by the president GW.
But the door is open for a SINGLE APPROPERATION THE WAY I READ THE NEWS ITEM.


He said he would quickly ask Congress to resubmit to him separate funds for ``truly pressing needs and priorities,'' which he identified as $200 million for AIDS prevention and $250 million that was to be divided between security aid for Israel and disaster assistance for Palestinians

If we can fund these needs, we need to do a little salesmanship of our own

WE JUST NEED TO CONVINCE OUR CONGRESS MEMBERS OF THAT!!!!

ONE EMAIL FROM EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT, FIREFIGHTER, EMT, PARAMEDIC, WOULD BE A START!!!

SO BREAK OUT YOUR LIST AND MAKE YOUR FEELINGS KNOWN!!!!

Terry

[busmaster]

All good ideas folks! Lets get it going, and maybe encourage the Commander to use the line item veto next time! Maybe those in the lobby business for the fire service should wisper that idea in the right ears next time, and teach those piggy back pork barrelers something!:D ;) :p

[toddmcbr]

I have just finished writing my congressmen (3 of them) and I enccourage you all to do the same. The Fire Service needs that extra 150 Million this year. There might be a chance to get something done yet.

To all of you award winners thus far......
I'm asking you to step up to the plate and help your fellow firefighters out who are still in limbo. The more support we show, the more success we will have.

To the WebTeam
I know your busy...but can we get an interactive page with congressional email addresses or maybe just a few links to the email addresses. Thanks....You guys are the Best!

Do not hesitate, it is important that you take a few minutes out and write that email now. It is the only way anything will happen.

TM

[ffmedic1161]

Just finished writing to my states officials. I hope that anyone and everyone that reads this thread does the same. As I and many others inspire you to do so. It will definately do more GOOD then harm. At this point in time anything will help. BE SAFE

[gibobemt]

I agree but we as a nation need to stop funding pork programs and fund programs that help the american people not the Russians, africans, chinanse, afgahns and the like. Our country has many homeless people living here and we have communties that have no or very little fire protection equipment to protect the residents of these areas. I feel that the FIRE grant is a good program but there are several areas that should be reviewed. I don't beleive it is fair that a department that receives over 2 million dollars a year for an operating budget should rate higher priority then a department that only recives $12,000 dollars a year to operate a department on. I realize that some of these higher cost areas have more residents but why should all the poor areas suffer because they don't have high populations. These rural areas end up paying for services for areas thay don't gain any benefits from. I encouage each taxpayer in this nation to write all senators, and house of representives of there states and also write the president it can not hurt at this stage. Thank you, united we stand Originally posted by ffmedic1161
Just finished writing to my states officials. I hope that anyone and everyone that reads this thread does the same. As I and many others inspire you to do so. It will definately do more GOOD then harm. At this point in time anything will help. BE SAFE

[JAMESBENNETT]

I am not real familiar with contacts though IAFC, NVFC, and the IAFF, but it would more than likely do some good for them to come out with some kind of a public statement about this extra funding. If you or anyone else has a friend or two maybe we can get a movement started from the public as well. I have call both senators and our Govenor canidate (who is running on Bushs coattails here in Texas) and put the word out here. Let's make our voices heard load and clear!

[mack04]

Webteam

Could u possibly check on this as u have the better connections. Back on 2 Aug there is a subject link in Federal FIRE ACT grants titled -Additional Funds - that has a link from timm1960, time 07:41 a.m. - that says Bush signed HR 4775 which is the bill that had the $150 mil for this year - total on HR 4775 was $28.9 billion. Could the one causing the controversy on this subject be the one for next year?

[jmkfire]

I am wondering the same thing. I recieved a call from my senators office a while back, informing me that the President had signed that bill. I'm not sure of the bill #, but I was informed that it was the one that had the additional $150mil for the Assistance to FF Grant that would be in the amounts to be distributed after Sept. 30.
Was there more than one bill with additional funds included for this grant?
Just curious.

[webteam]

This $150M is part of the same emergency spending bill ($28.9B) that was passed and signed, but Bush had authority to hold back some money, which he has done. This $150M is for this year and is the same $150 that was just added.

WebTeam

[mack04]

Thanks Webteam - was curious as we all thought this was a done deal a few weeks ago.

On another note, Bush has been against the FIRE ACT from the get go. He originally tried to squash it b4 it was even started last year. While the cure for AIDS and the Palestinians is well known (keep ur pants zipped up/feet on the floor, and no one will ever be happy in the Middle East even when the other side is totally wiped out) the cure for our problems is also well known - the wasted money overseas can fix our own taxpayers problems. And, since it is not Bush's money but ours, let's get on the ball and finally pin him down to support us, as he has repeatedly said he would do, but has not done.

[erniefire]

Good for the President!. Pork is pork. It is obvious the funds in the grant program are not going to the needy. Heck for the second straight year an indian tribe got a grant and they have not run a fire call in 7 years, they rely totally on their neighboring volunteer department to do it for them.

The IAFF did not want Bush elected so why should he support this bill? The fire portion has almost nothing to do with terrorism. So yeah it should be cut and so should next years 900 million.

Home rule is home rule, if XYZ FD's elected officials do not see a need for increased fire protection services why should the FEDS drop in $750,000? If the chief and staff cannot build a case locally then why should they be allowed to bilk the rest of the nation's taxpayers to cover what the locals won't even cover???

Good job Mr. President, I'll be holding up a sign today in SD at your visit thanking you for it!

[Tom McCarthy]

I absolutely agree. But shame on FIREHOUSE for the alarmist headline first of all. Secondarily shame on the democrats for trying to play partisan politics by submitting a pork laden bill they knew was going to be rejected. Do you really believe they thought the President would sign off on it???

It's disheartening to see the amount of what we call post-9/11 opportunists, such as Bobby Bowden (Lets roll on T-shirts,puhhlease) to now the dem's using this as a platform to undernmine the president by using his sense of responsible spending against him.Business as usual on the Hill I sadly suppose.

I'm proud to have voted for him and not been some blind sheep. And will do so again, along with the rest of my union brothers who actually exercise independant thought to come to an educated conclusion.

[JAMESBENNETT]

Well I have read some of the views expressed here and from others and I have this to say. Yes it is good that our president is looking out for our interest in taxes, but the skinny of it all is he killed our money. I know it had some "PORK" on it and that should have been addressed by him when he killed the funding. He must take a stance for us or against us and call for this funding to be brought back by the years end. If he is going to be a "Strong Leader" and protect our interest than he needs to do just that. The complaining about the IAFF's motion is "BS". They say don't bring the memorial ceremony into the middle of our political debate. If we don't say something about this than we invite our president to use us for his own cause while turning the knife in our back's. Let us not forget this is the same man who killed the funding from the "Fire Act" before it got started. All he said was this bill had to much fat attached. How do you know he wasn't talking about the money from the "Fire Act"? I do agree that this is not a stance against the families of our fallen brothers and sisters, but they should be with us here. Most of the funding was for them and to protect the rest of us if this type of event should ever take place again. If we all don't stand together and make a statement, than our brothers and sisters memories will only be over shadowed by the next event that kills even more. I know this may not be a popular view, but I strongly agree with the IAFF's motion. I know as does Mr. Burk how President Bush has been known to throw us in the fire here in Texas, before he became President!

[mack04]

I agree with Mr Bennett 100 percent. Bush talks about pork - but vetoed the bill because his pork was not in it (AIDS and the Palestinians-both overseas pork). So to say pork was the reason he was cutting the funding is pretty damn hypocritical of him.
As for boycotting the memorial - who's to say how many more names will be on it next year due to cutting this funding. It's a political visit for Bush to be at the memorial - why shouldn't the IAFF make their own statement. It's D.C. for crying out loud - everything is political and not of meaning.
Sorry to say I voted and supported him. Hopefully we can find a stronger President next time around that is more focused on America's needs.

[MJinFla]

Was doing some research on the bill and found this press statememnt by OMB director Mitch Daniels that gives a little insight to the 5B cut..It does mention that they may go after firefighting money due to the heavy wildfire season, whether that means grants or not who knows..


http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/08/20020813-6.html

[Bones42]

but the skinny of it all is he killed our money
who's to say how many more names will be on it next year due to cutting this funding

It's funny how people keep remarking about taking away money. The money was never there, it was ADDITIONAL funding for the lucky few that manage to win GRANTS. This does not cut anyone's budgets, it does not reduce anyone's staffing, it does not remove equipment. This was EXTRA money! It amazes me how much people are complaining about money that was not there to begin with. You may never have seen any of this money anyhow as it was for GRANT winners. If you don't win a grant, no money.

Most of the funding was for them and to protect the rest of us if this type of event should ever take place again. Wrong - most of the money was for Election Campaign reform, road repairs, other non fire/emergency related items. That is why it was and should have been vetoed.

[busmaster]

To protest at a memorial service for our own brothers and sisters of emergency services, would make us look bad! Protest, yes, throw all the ammo we can to put the heat on the politicians, but please can you honestly say you could stand beside a family still mourning for the loss of their loved one and shout down or raz the pres over money! The fire service is trying to build a better image not look like insensitive whiners. We need to consistently remind and show our needs, be firm, and UNITED!!! The NRA flooded DC with mail trucks around the block full of cards and letters to elected officials to make a point and it worked for them why not us?? Lets get to work!

[ffemt1]

Webteam,

No need to create an interactive web page to e-mail our goverment representatives like one poster has ask. Here it is.

http://www.congress.org

Maybe you could display it on the fornt page for everyone to see.

Just a thought.

[MJinFla]

Just emailed, the Pres, 2 Senators, a House Rep;)

[halon wheels]

Lets not point a finger at one individual. The truth is, like so many other well intended bills, congress wants to add on so many admendments and add ons that the original purpose of the bill becomes very distorted.:mad:

Once again we see a lack of bi-partisonhip creating a problem and not responding to the true issue at hand. S*%t-can the politics, do what needs to be done and get the money to the fire service for training the front line home troops!

VOTE: These positions should not be a lifetime job. If they can't get in there and keep their country and it's people and service's a priority then they need to go, and don't think that it is just one individual.

[captfire]

Upon reading more about Bush killing the money, I would have probably done the same thing. When congress told him that the money all or nothing had to be spent, when it included alot of extra BS in the bill, I can't say I blame him for killing the bill.

At first, I was just like we all were..MAD AS HELL. I am now seeing the picture a little clearer that I have read more about this. The only person(s) to blame for this not being passed, is all of the congress members that keep adding and adding to the bill. I know that is who I am blaming for this not passing.

Thanks and BE SAFE

[wellsfr]

What im hearing here is a lot of people that think the money is coming out of their pockets and the big bad pres did it. Remember that 150 mil is only 3% of that total 5 billion that congress wants to spend or flush? before you point your finger make sure you point it in the right direction.:mad:

[ffpm43]

Geez everyone.... where was all this complianing 3 years ago when we had NOTHING! Be gratefull that someone had the forsight to fund some of the issues we have been searching for.
So the Prez kills a bill stuffed with pork. I would have done the same with all the crapola riding on it. Dont even try to blame the Prez for future FF fatalities either, can anyone accurately document how many lives were spared because of the FireAct? Use that info, put it out there for all to see. That may be more effective in finding more $, than crying and boycotting a hallowed event like the NFFF memorial. Bones, you hit this one sqaurely on the head!