CA: Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines stanc

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by hacon1, Feb 8, 2008.


  1. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

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    Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines stance

    REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS RETALIATE BY PUSHING BILL TO CUT FEDERAL SUBSIDIES


    By Doug Oakley
    Bay Area News Group
    Article Launched: 02/07/2008 01:50:00 AM PST

    A move to strip Berkeley institutions of federal funds is going forward in Congress in retaliation for last week's city council vote telling the Marines their recruiting station is not welcome in the city.

    Meanwhile, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates issued an apology Wednesday to those who serve in the military for any personal offense taken by the council declaration.

    Six Republican senators and an Orange County representative are introducing companion bills called the Semper Fi Act of 2008 that takes away $2 million, including funds from the University of California-Berkeley and a local foundation that provides lunches to the Berkeley Unified School District.

    The Senate bill was introduced Wednesday by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

    Rep. John Campbell, R-Newport Beach., introduced a companion bill in the House.

    The bills seek to take away $243,000 from the Chez Panisse Foundation, which provides school lunches for Berkeley public schools, and $975,000 from UC-Berkeley's Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service to create an endowment and catalog of papers of Rep. Robert Matsui, a press release from DeMint's Washington office said.

    A spokesman for DeMint said Wednesday that the bills would also seek to remove other earmarks, including nearly $1 million for a new ferry service and funds for public safety.

    "Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences," DeMint said in the release. "Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town."

    Mayor Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain, said "There's really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council's actions, for God's sake. We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home."

    Two Berkeley city council members this week said they would ask the council on Tuesday to rescind the item declaring the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

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  2. Valkman

    Valkman Knifemaker Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Re: CA: Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines s

    Yea they can't backpedal fast enough on that now that they're set to lose a few million in fed funds. I say most of the US should be protected from terrorists but SF and Berkeley should be fair game.
     
  3. NWPilgrim

    NWPilgrim Monkey++

    Re: CA: Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines s

    Perfect example of how cheap and fatuous their policies are. When they thought they could do something with no consequence they did not hesitate to be insulting. Now that real funding dallars are being threatened they can't backpedal fast enough.

    What spineless worms. They posture and insult yet have no principles they will stand up for regardless of cost. I hope congress punishes them for at least one biennium even if they now reverse they town decree. Every local government should be put on notice that banning recruiters will have consequences, even if you change it after a public outcry.
     
  4. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Re: CA: Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines s

    Another reason to despise kalifornia.
     
  5. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Re: CA: Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines s

    Strange...I didnt know the roll of the Federal gov was to punish local governments for not doing what they wanted them to when to do otherwise is within the law.....but then I guess thats what happens when no one complained about that fre corn they spread which I ALSO didnt realize was an authorized function of the federal gov.

    I dont much care for Berkleys being disrespectful of those offering up their lives for freedom but it just kind of strikes me that when the feds use powers they are not supposed to have in the first place to punish Berkley for not kissig the feet of the fed then the FEDs are pissing on the graves of those who laid down their lives for FREEDOM, since they are dictating to the locals that even though its not law, they will obey and keep getting the funds the feds pilfer to pass out or resist and they will starve their children. Some how neither side impresses me much.
     
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