Are Republicans Really Suggesting This?

[Joanne98]

I didn't begin blogging for political reasons, but every now and then I hear a politician say something so ludicrous, so ignorant, that I feel a need to comment. Especially in reference to geology and geological hazards.

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response to President Obama's speech tonight, and suggested that it was a waste of taxpayer of money to spend "$140 million on something called volcano monitoring". If you don't really know a lot about volcanoes in the United States, follow the link for an effective explanation. In a nutshell, the U.S. has the third highest number of active volcanoes of any country in the world, including several that are uncomfortably close to major population centers. This month alone, activity began at a volcano near Anchorage, Alaska. And has anyone forgotten what happened at Mt. St. Helens in 1980 (pictured above, along with Mt. Adams in Washington)? The volcano was also erupting from 2004-2007.

I am appalled at the scientific ignorance displayed here; perhaps Mr. Jindal (of Louisiana, as you may remember) thinks we could also save money by turning off the weather satellites that monitor hurricanes in the Caribbean. I mean, really, what are the chances of a hurricane hitting the Louisiana coast?

I'm glad that a different party is in charge of the government now...

Immediate Update: Green Gabbro is on the topic already....ditto

http://geotripper.blogspot.com/2009/02/are-republicans-really-suggesting-this.html

Bobby Jindal doesn't think we need volcano or weather monitoring because we have Jesus in the sky to do that!

[Cant trust em]

1. Republicans and science don't really jive.

I don't think that any of these guys have ever asked the questions of "how will these things get paid for?". Cancer research, technology development and geological modeling just grows on trees.

[Chulanowa]

2. Dumber than a sack of rabbit shit.

The fact this douchenozzle is the best the Republicans can field fills me with glee

[norepubsin08]

3. Are you from Washington?

I am and to think that asshat Jindal doesn't give a shit about volcanic activity in the US just confirms tome what an idiot he is! It's like us in Tacoma saying "let's not worry about hurricane activity" you'd definitely hear little howling!

[yurbud]

5. I grew up in Portland, and could see Mt. St. Helens from my house

and not in the Sarah Palin sense, I mean literally.

That caused pretty severe damage to four different states.

[norepubsin08]

8. I love Portland

I worked one summer down there at 3 Lutheran Churches in North Portland and fell in love with the city....what a great place. I was at WSU in Pullman when the mountain blew..it got dark at about 2pm that day and stayed that way until about 7 the next morning. Ruined all our vinyl records (yes I am that old) and the paint job on our car, plus other things. I spent the next week shoveling ash. We (my wife and I) got married 5 weeks later in Richland and there were a few folks from the west side that wouldn't drive over because of the volcano. What part of Portland are you from...I am there all the time...I love your city!

[yurbud]

9. I'm from NE, near Sandy. My friends and I would drive through piles of ash to kick up dust

then I tried it once after it rained and they had turned to cement.

[ejpoeta]

4. it's something simple to use as an outrage point because most

people (especially their base) don't understand it. kind of like when mccain went on about scientific studies of bears or whatever animal. they are counting on people not understanding the research and just being mad about spending money on it because they don't know anything about it.

[yurbud]

6. ''who needs to worry vulcanos? They's only on the planet Vulcan on Star Trak''

[yurbud]

7. ''mebbe they's one on Gilligan's Island, but thet shows so old them peeple ur probly dead by now''