Texas Burns While Republicans Cut the Texas Forest Service's Budget.

[evildevil]

GOP Plan to Keep Us Safe: Volcano Monitoring? Liberal Hoax. Tsunami Warning Center? Tax Payers' Money Pit. Nucular Safety? Let the Free Market Decide. Wild Forest Fires? Smokey the Bear's Plot to Defraud Tax Payers.

Texas Plans To Cut Budget Of Agency Battling Wildfires

Texas lawmakers are set to slash funding for the agency responsible for fighting

Comments

[bludstone]

As the budget gets tighter and tighter, I think what we'll find is that its more about having the money to support the politicians pet projects/ friends/ enforcement folks.

As the politicians dont directly benefit from the forest, they cut the budget.

Its going to get a lot worse then this. They are going to cut -everything- just to keep the enforcement and their buddies in business.

Just wait, this hasnt even gotten bad yet.

[carmy_w]

But they aren't keeping enforcement, either! They just think that people are going to lay down & let their "steamroller" run over them.

Texans being Texans, I wouldn't be surprised if a few politicians get bonfires on their front lawns and in front of their offices, at the least.
People from Texas do have a way with using force to punctuate their arguments, even political ones.

[bludstone]

By "enforcement" i mean "profit/ tax collecting." They probably wont enforce things that dont put money directly in their coffers.

Expect more pushes for compliance by enforcement people. More/ bigger fines for speeding/ etc. You wont be getting anything from these "services," but its a fantastic way for the government to shake people down.

The best example of this is red-light cameras, which have been proven to INCREASE accidents in every single instance. But damn if its a great revenue stream. Or the cops in Tennessee that are, basically, highway robbers. (Pull random people over, search their car, arrest THE MONEY, and set the person free)

[carmy_w]

Well, as I said-Texans have been talking about secession for a couple of years already, and if their local government keeps this up, they will find themselves in the middle of a revolution against THEM, rather than the U.S. Government.

[bludstone]

You vastly underestimate the governments information gathering

[theartema]

A small, fringe group of Tea Party fuckwit Texans who don't understand how much it would fuck everything up for everyone have been talking about secession for a couple of years already

Fixed that for you. As a Texan I can safely say that the "ZOMG SECEDE" assholes are not in the majority. Rick Perry only went along with it for votes and dropped it light the dead meme it is.

[theartema]

*like the dead meme it is, gdi

[carmy_w]

You do have a point!

And I really don't expect any sort of a revolution against it; I wouldn't be surprised at a few fistfights, though. ;)

And I am devoutly praying for a volcanic overturn in the next state and federal elections, all over the country. If that doesn't happen, how much further are they going to run roughshod over everyone?

[prosodi]

Basically this.

[theartema]

I'm gonna need my Justins, my cowboy hat, a yellow rose and a horse, it's rioting time in the Lone Star State, yee-haw. :/

[c_yo_yus]

Proof that the free market works.

[bludstone]

...uhm, wat? lol. i dont even know where this is coming from lol.

goverment != free market.

[jwaneeta]

Texas wants smaller government so the INVISIBLE HAND OF THE FREE MARKET will put out their fires! Everybody wins!

[bludstone]

Youll notice that this is happening on public land.

If it was free market, there would be a private owner who would take care of this stuff if just to protect property values. What property owner DOESNT want to protect their property from fire devastation?

Also.... you know about texas and the whole pride in your private property thing? yeah?

[valkeakuulas]

I'm a forest ecologist. Is it illegal to walk in a forest in the States - I guess it varies by state, but if you know of for example the state you live in - if it's owned by a private person and you haven't contacted the owner?