Weather prediction devices and storm warning systems, the kind that do save lives in the event of something catastrophic like a tornado or tsunami or earthquake or flooding (not that the planet has experienced any of those things this year), are an easy target for budget-cut hawks.
The rationalization goes something like: These anomalous weather events don’t happen that often, and are so unexpected anyway, that you can’t really predict them. Hence, the prediction and warning systems are really just a waste of money.
Except that when a disaster does happen, these prediction and warning systems are one of the few things that can lead to lives saved. They are like the fire department. Sure, maybe a few days a week it seems like they do nothing, but when they do their job it’s a good and necessary thing.
Now, amazingly, we learn that in the recent round of Federal budget talks, Congress — including every GOP member of Alabama’s delegation — decided to “eliminated funding to replace the environmental satellites that help make our forecasts a reality.”
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/dayton-oh/TOTK2V5F35S35NGQNHow many people living through these horrific events will continue to vote for these people? Do they have any sense at all of the connection between their votes and the things that happen to them?
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