Local Government TV

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Bush Threatens to Veto Dent's Public Safety Initiatives

Would you like to see 300 digital video camera systems for police in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton? These protect officers while providing oversight.

How about better radio gateways for Allentown cops, so they can at least talk to police in surrounding departments?

For those of us living near the unpredictable Delaware river, wouldn't it be nice if the Delaware River Basin Commission improved its flood warning system?

And for our greatest asset, our children, I'm sure we'd all like to see improvements in Northampton County's Child Advocacy Center, so it can respond quickly to child abuse reports.

These four public safety initiatives have been proposed by Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent. Now kids can't vote, and cops don't make up a big voting block. His proposals have received scant attention and won't get him many votes. But these are all good ideas, the right thing to do.

Total cost? $1.75 million, according to a report filed by The Express Times' Bill Cahir. That's a lot of money, but pales in comparison to the $446 billion this country has spent on the Iraq war effort.

Yet President Bush now threatens to veto a spending bill designed to protect our safety here. According to Cahir, this bill spends 5% more than Bush thinks is acceptable. Iraq war costs will exceed $1 trillion dollars, so Bush wants to reduce spending here where it is needed. Children’s health, education, reducing the deficit and public infrastructure repairs will just have to wait.

And so will public safety right here in the Lehigh Valley if Bush has his way.
Update: Keystone Politics has also posted this topic, and claims the White House Budget Office has tagged this modest spending plan as irresponsible. I see.

12 comments:

  1. Did you already forget that Bush knows what's best for us...

    We're all doomed!

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  2. I don't think Bush would know what was best for us if it walked up and introduced itself to him. Nor would he care. If it's not oil, it's nothing. He's a sad, sorry man.

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  3. If it walked up to him and tried to introduce itself, he'd probably slap it in the face...

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  4. SS would whisk it away ... slick-like with a lot of oil. :o)

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  5. Please tell me that is not a picture of "Man" Coulter!

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  6. I'm surprised that Veto pen hasn't run out of ink yet.

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  7. AJ, Actually, Bush very seldom vetos legislation. But he does make use of a "signing statement" under which he strips away the signifigance of much of the legislation that has been enacted.

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  8. Anne,

    I enjoy your blog, another Lehigh Valley treasure. I'll be sure to add you to my blogroll and will give you a "shout out" nbext time I do a blog roundup.

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  9. I posted a comment at KP asking if this might be the tipping point for dent. He's been the loyal GOP footsoldier for Bush. This veto threat hits him right at home. All politics is local right? If bush follow through on this, he very well may be losing a GOP vote for his Iraq spending in the process. Why would Dent continue to support Bush at that point?

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  10. Bernie, thank you. That would be an honor; to be linked here. I've already added you to my blogroll! LV Bloggers are a rare and decent breed, I've noticed.

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  11. Rare? Yes. Decent? No.

    I've added a link to your bloig, and will definitely give ytou a shout out next time I do a round up. I spent some time looking it over last night and really like it.

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  12. If my blog were decent, nobody would visit and Bernie never would have linked to it! LOL!

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