Firefighters Come Out Fighting

Will somebody please put these people on TV:

WASHINGTON, March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The General
President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO
(IAFF), Harold Schaitberger, issued the following statement today after
President Bush unveiled new political ads that use images of fire
fighters in September 11, 2001 attacks for political gain:
-- As Bush Trades on Heroism of Fire Fighters, His Homeland Security
Funding Cuts Hurt Fire Fighters and Communities --
"I'm disappointed but not surprised that the President would try to
trade on the heroism of those fire fighters in the September 11
attacks. The use of 9/11 images are hypocrisy at its worst. Here's a
President that initially opposed the creation of the Department of
Homeland Security and now uses its first anniversary as cause to
promote his re-election. Here is a President that proposed two budgets
with no funding for FIRE Act grants and still plays on the image of
America's bravest. His advertisements are disgraceful.
"Bush is calling on the biggest disaster in our country's history, and
indeed in the history of the fire service, to win sympathy for his
campaign. Since the attacks, Bush has been using images of himself
putting his arm around a retired FDNY fire fighter on the pile of
rubble at ground zero. But for two and a half years he has basically
shortchanged fire fighters and the safety of our homeland by not
providing fire fighters the resources needed to do the job that America
deserves.
"The fact is Bush's actions have resulted in fire stations closing in
communities around the country. Two-thirds of America's fire
departments remain under-staffed because Bush is failing to enforce a
new law that was passed with bipartisan support in Congress that would
put more fire fighters in our communities. President Bush's budget
proposes to cut Homeland Security Department funding for first
responders by $700 million for next year and cuts funding for the FIRE
Act, a grant program that helps fire departments fund equipment needs,
33 percent by $250 million. In addition, state and local programs for
homeland security purposes were reduced $200 million.
"We're going to be aggressive and vocal in our efforts to ensure that
the citizens of this country know about Bush's poor record on
protecting their safety and providing for the needs of the people who
are supposed to respond in an emergency."

Posted by flow Frazao on March 4, 2004 at 05:04 PM | Permalink