A suggestion for Representative Eric Cantor's FEMA proposal

 I couldn’t help this week reading two different newspaper articles that seem to have a relationship to each other and seem to point to a bi-partisan solution.

The first article was the suggestion by the Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee that any money used by FEMA to help communities impacted by Hurricane Irene be offset with budget reductions in other areas.  In reading the second article it seemed to point to an area that might be the source of the budget reduction.

The second article may have provided the answer to the budget reductions for which Representative Cantor was looking.  The article was about a report by the Congressional Commission on Wartime Contracting that indicated that up to $60 billion dollars had been lost in waste and fraud in military contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past 10 years.  The contracting waste and fraud in Afghanistan alone represented from 10 to 20 percent of the total spent on military contracting in that country.

Maybe that 60 billion dollars wasted in those two wars might be better spent in disaster relief and infrastructure projects in this country.  Was that what Rep. Cantor was proposing? Hummmmmmm---probably not!

P.S.

Howard County COACHING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN IN TRANSITION
Next session starts Tuesday, September 13th, Time TBD
This 12-week program will help you gain clarity, develop a plan of action,
and get support for a new life direction! In 90 days you will: Break down
barriers to clarity, come to terms with change, break through limiting
mindsets, find a sense of purpose and much more. Fee $150 plus materials.
Contact Maria Smith, Life and Career Coach, (410) 799-1097 ext 304 or
maria@empowerctr.org for more information and how to register. New
sessions are formed monthly. Call for details and what would best fit your
schedule. Pinnacle Empowerment Center, Elkridge, MD - www.empowerctr.org 

P.S 2

Join Climate Change Coalition of Howard County in DC tomorrow, Sat 9/3, for Rally Marking the end of the Historic Opposition to Tar Sands Oil in Canada!

No arrests tomorrow, though we are VERY proud of CCIHC founder Lore who was arrested Monday, 8/22!

Carpool with CCIHC from Broken Land Parkway Park and Ride WEST (directions at http://maryland.sierraclub.org/hc/directions.html#blpr. )    leaving between 10 and 10:30 am RSVP with your name and cell phone no. to hococlimatechange@gmail.com so we'll know to expect you.   Details below

Margo,  Betsy (443-812-2525), and Ruth Alice (443-803-8546)  for the CCIHC Advocacy Team

Sat Sept 3 - Celebration of 2 weeks of Tar Sands Protest.  Noon Lafayette Park.  Howard County Carpools leave between 10 and 10:30am.  Wear a black tee shirt if you want to be in aerial group photo of the group forming a black pipeline  This rally is your last chance to have a part in the most important environmental protest in decades and to show President Obama that the climate change movement expects him to keep his promises!  No arrests --speakers, festivities,  and the Sierra Club email said bring a reusable water bottle, there will be pizza!   

If you are on Facebook rsvp at Facebook page - 

        

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137276899698667

In the past week, almost 1000 brave souls, including Daryl Hannah, Margot Kidder, and climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, have all risked their freedom to stop the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.  The tar sands development in Canada is a true environmental horror, destroying millions of acres of ancient forest, and polluting groundwater  Then Tar sands oil travels thousands of miles down spill-happy pipelines (the first Keystone pipeline saw 12 oil spills last year) to refineries in the U.S.  Tar sands oil burns dirtier than ordinary crude oil. In fact, Al Gore says that gasoline made from the tar sands gives a Toyota Prius the same impact on climate as a Hummer using gasoline made from oil! 

See many more local, area, and national events and conference calls & webcasts at:

www.HoCoClimateChange.org