I was waiting on yesterday’s events before I wrote this… the City of Berkeley is not apologizing…
After a marathon session that stretched into early Wednesday, the council decided not to send the letter, saying they recognize recruiters’ right to be in Berkeley. The council said they still strongly oppose the war and the recruitment of young people into it, but “deeply respect and support” the men and women of the armed forces.
Some on the council had pushed for issuing an apology. But others rejected that, saying they just wanted to clarify their position.
So lets clarify our position as Americans and proceed with the Semper Fi Act of 2008. Besides sending a message to the unrepentant City of Berkeley, this bill is a pork saver.
February 6th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008. The bill would rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-California) is introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Last week, the City Council of Berkeley voted to oust Marine Corps recruiters from their downtown office, saying the Marines were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” Berkeley officials also voted to give the radical protest group Code Pink space outside the recruitment office and urged them to “impede, passively or actively” the work of Marine Corps recruiters.
One earmark provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization Chez Panisse to create gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to “environmental harmony” and their menu features “Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad,” “Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis,” and “Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast.”
Another earmark would spend $975,000 in taxpayer dollars for the University of California in Berkeley Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, to create a new endowment and cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. U.C. Berkeley currently already has a $3.5 billion endowment.
Senator DeMint: “Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences. Patriotic American taxpayers won’t sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town. Berkeley City Council members have shown complete ingratitude to our military and their families, and the city doesn’t deserve a single dime of special pet project handouts.”
Senator Cornyn: “The Berkeley City Council insulted our troops and offended people across the country. If the U.S. Marines are not good enough for Berkeley, neither are taxpayer dollars Congress would have sent there this year. That city closed its doors on the same individuals taking bullets on the front lines while fighting for the safety and freedom of families in Berkeley and throughout America.”
Senator Vitter: “The actions of the City Council of Berkeley are in stark contrast to beliefs of the vast majority of Americans who recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of our U.S. Marines. This is simply unacceptable and those funds could be better utilized by the Marine Corps.”
Dr. Coburn: “The actions by the city of Berkeley are deplorable and insulting to those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the very freedoms that are being exercised to insult them. I know I stand with the majority of Americans in thanking our service men and women for their selfless service to our nation.”
Senator Inhofe: “Unfortunately, those on the Berkeley city council do not seem to understand the sacrifice of the brave men and women of the United States Marine Corps. By interfering with military recruiting, the city of Berkeley is hampering our ability to protect this nation. While the city of Berkeley and the protestors are free to say whatever they like, free speech is not a protection from consequence.”
Senator Chambliss: “We need to send a strong message that our military personnel deserve our strongest support. Georgia is a proud military state, and my constituents will be out outraged to know that during a time of war, their taxpayers dollars have been used to reward folks who have insulted and disparaged those who defend this nation every day.”
What school district needs over a quarter million dollars for gourmet organic school lunches? Do we really need to spend another $975,000 for an endowment to categorize papers? I know we do not need any of these.
So lets get behind this bill and see it through Congress and have President Bush sign it.
Filed under: Congress, Military, Ridiculous Yet True, Tax Dollars Wasted
I personally think we need to stop sending or spending money in Berkley. If they want to live in a non free state then let them.I am a Marine a member of the strongest and most elite of the fighting forces.We stand tall with pride and determination when asked to defend our countries freedom only to have part of our own country turn their back on us.If Berkley wants to condenm our young and brave people for wanting to defend our country and their freedom then lets hold a vote and just kick them out of the United States of America. Stop sending them gov’t money after all they don’t seem to care about the reast of the country so why should we worry about them.Let them fend for themselves ,let the burden of protecting and helping their own fall on their shoulders,without gov’t aid after all they don’t want to be part of this great nation one who stands behind its heros the men and women of our fighting force. So SCREW THEM and their Holier than thou attitude.The motto of the Corps is Semper Fidales (always faithful) and Country and Corp. We are a proud organazation. I am and always will be a MARINE Until the day the lord calls me home.The Hell with the people of Berkley lets just call them the old Soviet Republic. I need to end this because the more I write the angrier I become. SEMPER FI
Two points: 1. The menu of Chez Panisse restaurant has nothing to do with the school lunch program in Berkeley. It is highly misleading, albeit entertaining, to cite some exotic items from this restaurant’s menu when referring to the Berkeley school lunch program. 2. The University of California is a state institution and is a separate entity from the city of Berkeley. It has an ROTC program; does not oppose military recruiting; and its chancellor protested the city council action against the Marine recruiting center. Yet the largest cut in this act would be nearly $1 million to the university Robert Matsui center. It makes no sense to punish the university for the actions of a city council over which it has no control.