Well we can either wait on Poltifact to do another one of their insightful fact checking jobs or we can go look for ourselves. This is what I was able to find out so far.
Fact: Texas legislature cut budget to their Forest Service and Wildlife Management by 30%. Most of Texas' firefighting forces are supplied by volunteer firefighter services. These volunteer firefighters get their funding in part from the Forest Service.
Local volunteer fire departments and the Texas Forest Service are reacting to possible cuts as the Forest Service could lose $34 million in funding over the next two years, as legislators continue to look at ways to balance the budget.
Okay, that is one source. How about another?
The Texas Forest Service faces almost $34 million in budget cuts over the next two years, roughly a third of the agency's total budget. The cuts are in both the House and Senate versions of the proposed state budget.
Psst, liberals, I found that bit from an article over at Huffington. It will be our little secret, m'kay.
All funding in Texas is done on a two year basis since their legislature only meets every two years. The effect of this budget proposal is to return the funding to the levels in 2009 when it received a big shot in the arm in it's funding.
The Forest Service finds itself in a very different situation compared to 2008, when it was warning lawmakers that it was underfunded and that wildfires around the state were getting bigger and more destructive as a result. The Legislature responded by boosting the agency's funding in 2009 by more than $15 million.
So let me get this straight. In 2009 you boosted the budget by $15 million and now you are cutting it by $17 million. Let's see cross out the 7, carry the one and that equals a $2 million net cut.
So with funding being cut I wonder what the biggest need is for these volunteer fire departments across the state is.
One volunteer fire department spokesman cites a reason.
The economy also has cut the number of firefighters volunteering, she said, recalling that when she started with the department in the 1980s, about 30 firefighters were volunteering. Today, the number is 16.
Another chief adds:
"Nationally, there's just been a real down trend in the number of people volunteering their time," he said. "Everyone's very busy trying to provide for their own families."
Yet another.
He said he'd like to see an increase in volunteers.
"We could realistically have 35 firefighters and pay for their gear and everything they need," he said. "But we're doing well with what we have. Ideally, I'd love to have 50, 100 firefighters, even a waiting list, but that takes more budget money."
So it's not so much equipment as it is volunteers.
Texas also has a special fund set aside to handle disasters which it could tap into, but one of the biggest impediments has been the Obama administrations unwillingness to declare Texas a disaster area. It is quite simply Chicago style politics and the liberals in Washington don't mind wasting a few lives in the red state of what is shaping up to be their biggest opponent to holding on to power.
One last piece of bad news for Texans. It seems a large quantity of firefighting aircraft are sitting on the ground in California all because of a contract dispute.
So budget cuts that are yet to take effect, which makes very little difference in the agencies affected are somehow supposed to be to blamed for a record drought in the state of Texas which has spawned a serious outbreak of wildfires the the federal administration refuses to acknowledges, even though it can be seen from International Space Station, all the while they cause firefighting equipment and emergency funds to be denied to a political opponent.
Well Obama's field general did say this weekend to take the sons of bitches out.
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