“Diary of a Mad Voter: Joan McCarter” Wildfires: House Passes Proactive (Really?) FLAME Act
“When it comes to being forward thinking, proactive and strategically-thinking, the last organization that comes to mind is Congress. But this time, with the FLAME Act, they’ve done it.”
By Joan McCarter, New West. 7-15-08
McCarter argues, correctly I think, that the Bush Administration has used wildlifes to starve the Forest Service budget so there is nothing left for recreation, wildlife, etc.
They do it by requesting a meager amount to fight fires. Then when the fire fighting costs “unexpectedly” exceed the appropriations, they take the money out of other Forest Service accounts.
Congress may put an end to this Administration effort to destroy the Forest Service.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
Sounds like business as susual for the Bushies. Starve the agency for funding, then (very) publically announce that the agency is so crummy that it exceeded its budget. Same old PR line from the Bush people.
They’re doing the same thing with the ESA: cripple the act with pseudo-legalistic ploys and policies designed to make the act (and FWS) fail, and then claim the ESA should be revised because it doesn’t work.