FEMA's budget - a rant and a general question

[jokerman93]

Just read in another thread that Sonic BEam weapons are being shipped into the disaster zone:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1746253

Yep, I was wondering when they were going to pull these babies out (with more exotic technology to come) -- tried and tested in classified fields of battle and in the desert - coming now to a domestic war zone near you.

Is this a FEMA thing? Military? Does anyone know? I guess reacting after the fact with martial law is more important than disaster preparedness and humanitarian rescue work.

Now here's something that's bugging me. People keep saying the FEMA funding was cut by Bushco's budget. That may be true, in some sense certainly, but I doubt there's one monolithic budget involved here.

I distinctly remember watching a one sided debate in congress last year when the war-pigs were pushing through that 18BB emergency supplemental for "Iraq". Members of the black caucus were vociferously demanding an explanation for the fat it was padded with. One such item (I distinctly remember) was an appropriation to FEMA for (I think) $11m with no itemized explanation about its intended use. In fact the most remarkable aspect of the war funding debacle to me has been the almost willful institutionalized avoidance of accountability. The Republicans and complicit Dems sat poker-faced while two members of the Black Caucus flailed helplessly just before the bill was passed without comment.

Now, I've posted a number of times on this and no one seems to know anything about this particular rider. It concerned me then and it concerns me now.

Was FEMAs budget cut? And if so, what was the rider for?

It's obvious now that FEMA has been crippled by incompetence and lack of funding, and DHS resembles far more a boondoggle for Bush sycophants than any kind of functional security agency. So where has all this money gone? The national treasury has been plundered. There is quite obviously no accountability, no readiness, no homeland security.

I want answers, not focused beam weapons. I want this administration out on their criminal asses - not one more day of this! One death is too many - but already countless thousands have perished over the last four years and an inestimable cost to future generations, as a result of the rapacious Neocon takeover of our government.

[jokerman93]

1. kick for busy board

:kick:

[KT2000]

2. This is a good question

is there a web site for the Congressional Black Caucus? Certainly Conyers would know about this.

We need to have an investigation of how our agencies have been hobbled. They did it on purpose and they have to be caught.

[jokerman93]

3. Good idea

I'll write his office about this tomorrow. Hopefully someone can break it down for us. I'll repost when I get a response.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The boards are running fast today.

:-)

[Barack_America]

4. DEMAND ANSWERS!!

I wrote Arlen Spector today and called his office to give him a piece of my mind!

He is on the appropriatons committee which funds Homeland Security and he doesn't list evacuation of cities as a priority.

Write him at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[jokerman93]

5. Good!

You're on!