Alaskans fume about Jindal volcano gripe

[babylonsister]

Alaskans fume about Jindal volcano gripe

STIMULUS: Louisiana GOP governor's remarks roil Outside critics too.

By GEORGE BRYSON
[e-mail]

Published: February 25th, 2009 09:58 PM
Last Modified: February 26th, 2009 05:33 AM


In his official Republican response to President Barack Obama's speech to the nation Tuesday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said repeatedly that "Americans can do anything!"

With one exception, apparently. We don't need to keep an eye on simmering volcanoes.

Jindal singled out "volcano monitoring" as an unnecessary frill that Democrats stuck in the recently adopted stimulus package.

"Their legislation is larded with wasteful spending," Jindal said. "It includes ... $140 million for something called 'volcano monitoring.' Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C."

Jindal's comments provoked an eruption of their own. Alaska politicians, liberal bloggers and some scientists began pointing out how useful it is to let people know when a volcano in their neighborhood is about to explode.

"Volcano monitoring is a matter of life and death in Alaska," Democratic Sen. Mark Begich said in an open letter to Jindal.

more...

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/702875.html

[NeedleCast]

1. Jindal was an idiot for mentioning that

I mean, here's New Orleans, the poster child city for why we need to be doing disaster monitoring and research...and Jindal is saying that it's frivolous.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Palin vs. Jindal - I LOVE it!!!

[Rainbowreflect]

3. The next celebrity death match!

I'd pay to watch that. ;-)

[8 track mind]

9. i'll second that!!!!!! n/t

[City of Mills]

6. Someone needs to step up

And ask her to comment on Jindal's quote. I'm curious to hear her take on it, and it may be the first and only time I ever find myself saying that.

[MiniMe]

4. It isn't just that, he used the volcano part to set up the next line

It was $230 million dollars, not billion or trillion, million. It is such an insignificant part of the bill it is ridiculous to bring up.

[trof]

5. Too bad he didn't live through the Mt. Redoubt '89 eruption:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Redoubt_(Alaska)

[radfringe]

7. and it's been rumbling for a couple of months now

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/

[DesertRat]

8. It's stunning that a governor of a state with hurricane monitoring

would dismiss volcano monitoring in other states. This guy is NOT ready to be on a national stage.