The Dusty Dog

Two Proclamations

I thought you all should know, in case ya don't already, that starting today, April 22nd, and running till April 30th is National Parks Week. Isn't that just so warm and fuzzy. Ya see, Dubya made a Proclamation, so that we all can feel so wonderful about one of the premier government programs getting such special attention. But, more importantly, so we can feel so wonderful about what a wonderful pres......... Oh God, I can't even say it.

Bullshit! Or rather BUSHSHIT!!! I find this rather infuriating. It's typical bushism to say one thing, and do the exact opposite. That's what is going on here. Dumbass dubya speak. How do people actually support this cockroach?

Garnered from the Democratic Policy Committee website, the 2007 fiscal year budget cuts $100 million from total Park Service funding, marking the sixth year in a row that the Administration has cut funding for the Park Service, which includes $91 million from construction and maintenance programs, resulting in a maintenance backlog that is significantly larger than it was in 2000. This, after promising during his 2000 campaign to fund $5 billion to eliminate the NPS maintenance backlog. Fucking hooey............

At the Democratic Policy Committee website, President Bush's Budget Cuts Environmental, Natural Resource and Energy Independence Programs

The President’s budget provides $27.9 billion for environment and natural resource programs for Fiscal Year 2007, which is $2.4 billion below the 2006 enacted level. Among many other cuts, the Bush budget proposal would reduce funding for clean water, national parks and forests, oceans, energy efficiency and conservation, and energy cost assistance for low-income Americans.

According to the New York Times, U.S Parks Retrench After Budget Cuts:

IT was one of the busiest days of the year at one of the busiest national parks in the country, but the sign at our planned campground declared: Closed. Because of budget cuts, rangers explained, the camp is not open this year .......snip.....

The campground closings, maintenance backlogs and cuts in the highly instructive interpretive programs that we found are symptomatic of a budget squeeze that is hitting the National Park Service hard from coast to coast this year.

And, over at Alternet, This National Park Is Brought To You By....

Over the past few months, the National Park Service has quietly imposed a hiring freeze, abandoned maintenance projects, cut visitor services and reduced park hours at a number of America's national parks. And, according to Ski magazine, "Forest Service officials appear to be leaning toward a policy change that would allow more visible displays of sponsors, whose logos, names or ads could appear on items they underwrite."

In fact, this is all very symptomatic of an administration that couldn't give a rat's ass about the people and lands it is tasked with governing. Under the dubya regime, Americans have been shortchanged at every corner. Now that dubya made his warm and fuzzy proclamation, the idiot has really served to highlight his failures, rather than his successes. Picture me scratching my head, wondering if there is a single success that these cockroaches can hang their collective hats on. By success, I'm talking about realy and truly helping people, about saving and preserving lands and it's species; about cleaning up the water and air; about actually preserving forests; and, of course, about preserving our national treasures, our national parks for future generations.


Yesterday was John Muir's birthday. He was born on April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland. He is considered to be the Father of our National Parks. I don't think it's accidental that National Park Week and John Muir's birthday coincide. But, it is ironic, given how this dubya regime disrespects our lands and waters and the agencies that are tasked to protect them, that dubya would highlight this major discrepancy in his extremely insincere proclamation.

The Sierra Club has a website dedicated to John Muir, called the John Muir Exhibit. It's an absolutely vast collection of everything and anything related to Muir and his life and accomplishments. On that site is a resolution made in the California Legislature in 1988 to Proclaim April 21st as John Muir Day. Following is an abreviated version:

WHEREAS, John Muir was the founding father of the conservation efforts which resulted in our national park system, which today has grown to almost 80 billion acres, and

WHEREAS, He began his conservation efforts in the 1880's, when the social consciousness of America concentrated on the Industrial Revolution and its expansionist philosophies which would have led to the devastation of the natural environment; and

WHEREAS He popularized the concept of conservation and land use and was instrumental in changing the direction of this country toward socially beneficial goals which resulted in the United States becoming a leading force that worked on behalf of global unity and the preservation of the environment; and .... snip...

Resolved, That this measure be adopted with urgency as this April 21st marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of John Muir who was born in 1838 on that date; and be it further

Resolved, That April 21st of every year after this resolution is enacted be designated as a commemorative holiday to observe the importance that an ecologically sound natural environment plays in the quality of life of us all and indeed the future of our own existence; and be it further

Resolved, That the observance of John Muir Day emphasize John Muir's significant contribution to the fostering of such an awareness and the indelible mark left on California and the world by him.

I'm afraid that Muir would be rolling in his grave right now, in utter disgust at this administration, dubya and his cronies, and their utter disdain for our nation's great lands. Some day, dubya will be nothing but a bad chapter in our history books.

posted by Dusty Dog at 4/22/2006