CONGRESS SLASHES RURAL FIREFIGHTER FUNDING

On February 1st, Congress passed a deficit reduction bill as reported by the Washington Post (Budget Cuts Pass By a Slim Margin). This budget cut does little to reduce the deficit, which is over $14 trillion in total. The budget cut will be further marginalized by legislation by Congress to make tax cuts permanent for the wealthy.

An immediate casualty of this budget cut will be something that was buried deep inside the bill and received scant attention: The Rural Firefighters and Emergency Personnel Grants program, which provides money to rural fire departments (which constitute over 70% of the fire departments in the US). The projected cut is only $50 million, peanuts compared to the trillions Congress is ostensibly trying to reduce, but it's all the rural firefighters have. While changes to student loans and Medicare programs get much of the press, considering the wildfire season ahead (and the one we've already had this year), cutting this vital program could produce catastrophic results.

Does it make sense to take away what little these firefighters have and give it to the rich in a tax cut? Does Congress really want to be known as the anti-Robin Hood? Let me know what you think: marcher47@firebomberpublications.com.