California fires used repeatedly to push "Healthy Forests" [View All]

[theivoryqueen]

Second article this week - in LATimes - that details the determination of this admin to use the fires in California to push their agenda.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez29oct29,1,4811717.column?coll=la-home-headlines

Using Fires to Blow Political Smoke

Biography:
Steve Lopez
Recent Columns:
Using Fires to Blow Political Smoke
October 29, 2003

For several days in the nation's capital, there's been lots of fiddling on fire-prevention policy while California burns. Actually the fiddling has gone on for years, which is one reason we can't see for all the smoke.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out how to prevent the kinds of roaring fires that are currently swallowing homes and taking lives. If we're going to be dumb enough to continue building in high-fire-danger areas, brush needs to be cleared to prevent the spread of killer blazes.

But we don't do it, because our attention spans are shorter than the time it takes to eat a bag of Cheetos. Someone can be burned out of house and home, only to move straight back to Tinder Box Boulevard as soon as possible and wait for history to repeat itself.

Finally, though, we've got Washington's attention. Not long after the first house went up in flames last week, various elected officials and Bush administration surrogates said it was time to cross the Ts on the president's Healthy Forests fire-prevention initiative. For my money, the most spirited cheerleader was Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), who sent out a press release with the title:

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT