U.S. Senator Wants to Revoke Funding From City of Berkeley, Calif.

[-Cp]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,327466,00.html

[retiredman]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

[MtnBiker]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

Cool, Alice Waters can finance her own fund instead of the US taxpayer.


$243,000 for the Chez Panisse Foundation, for a school lunch initiative to integrate lessons about wellness, sustainability and nutrition into the academic curriculum.

link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,327466,00.html)

[theHawk]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?


Because if the local government want to extend their jurisdiction to the Federal level, then the rest of us should have a say on whats going on in their local district.

[Kathianne]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

Perhaps because the city is attacking the US Marines?

[Pale Rider]

I think the Marines ought to roll through California and clear out all the faggots, liberals and whatever other kinds of low life that lives there out, and take the state back. Enough is enough of these communist, mother fucker, kook, liberal, sons a bitches.

[BoogyMan]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

Could it be because Boxer and Feinstein seem to be presiding over a national disgrace? Yeah, thats the ticket.

[retiredman]

Could it be because Boxer and Feinstein seem to be presiding over a national disgrace? Yeah, thats the ticket.

If you don't like California...don't go there. As a matter of fact, don't even eat anything that is grown there. that's the ticket.

[Yurt]

I think the Marines ought to roll through California and clear out all the faggots, liberals and whatever other kinds of low life that lives there out, and take the state back. Enough is enough of these communist, mother fucker, kook, liberal, sons a bitches.

dude, a bit much

[stephanie]

Just now ran across this...KEEP UP the calls and emails...they don't seem to like it when others single them out...:laugh2::cheers2:

Steve Rubenstein,Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writers

Friday, February 1, 2008

(02-01) 17:51 PST BERKELEY - As the right-wing blogosphere railed and a U.S. senator vowed financial retaliation against the Berkeley City Council for its effort to boot the Marine Corps out of town, three anti-war protesters ratcheted up pressure from the left by chaining themselves Friday to the front door of the downtown Marine recruiting office.

The demonstrators snapped their locks shut at 7 a.m. and spent the next 7 1/2 hours blocking the door, waving and chanting as hundreds of cars driving by honked in support. Finally, at 2:30 p.m., police snipped the chains and arrested them.

Two of the three were cited for blocking a business and released, and the third was booked into jail on an unrelated traffic warrant, police said.

The demonstrators promptly said they would keep protesting outside the recruiting station at 64 Shattuck Square until the Marines leave Berkeley - which is what the City Council advised the service to do in a vote Tuesday night that called the Marines "unwelcome intruders."

The council also voted to allow members of Code Pink, the protest group that helped organize Friday's blockade, to park at a designated space in front of the recruiting office every Wednesday afternoon and operate a loudspeaker.

The council's action apparently made Berkeley the first city in the nation to call for the ouster of a military recruiting station from its borders.

"We made really great statements by blocking the door," said one of the three blockaders, 64-year-old Mary Ann Thomas of Oakland. "It's time we became more articulate about what we're doing."

Conservative bloggers and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., also believed more articulation is necessary - from the opposite political spectrum.

DeMint began drafting legislation Friday to cut $2.1 million in federal funding to Berkeley in the current congressional budget bill and to transfer the money to the Marine Corps. The funding would include $750,000 for prospective ferry service, $87,000 for Berkeley Unified School District nutrition education fund and $243,000 for the Chez Panisse Foundation, which promotes nutritional awareness in school lunch programs.

"The First Amendment gives the city of Berkeley the right to be idiotic, but from now on they should do it with their own money," DeMint said in a statement. He called the council's vote "a slap in the face to all brave servicemen and women and their families."

Conservative blogs blasted the council and Berkeley in general all day with comments such as one on "Gathering of Eagles:" "These cretins disgust me."

Members of the council who voted to condemn the Marine station were unbowed.

"I guess they've never heard of free speech," said Councilwoman Dona Spring. "I've had a lot of nasty phone messages today, threatening me with things like saying, 'I'll take you out.' But they can go ahead. I don't feel scared."


read the rest AND LOTS OF COMMENTS..
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/01/BALTUQKOE.DTL

[avatar4321]

Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

He is. South Carolina pays tax money. One of the many duties of the Senator of South Carolina or any other state is to make sure the taxes of his state are spent well. As National defense is one of ways taxes are well spent, the City of Berkley's efforts to stifle our national defense should have consequences. Why should SC tax money or money from any other state support a city which is actively working against the national defense of the entire nation?

[PostmodernProphet]

The demonstrators snapped their locks shut at 7 a.m. and spent the next 7 1/2 hours blocking the door, waving and chanting as hundreds of cars driving by honked in support. Finally, at 2:30 p.m., police snipped the chains and arrested them.


they're lucky it wasn't an abortion clinic....they'd have had a RICO action filed against them by 2:30......

[Immanuel]

Perhaps because the city is attacking the US Marines?

Attacking with the mouth while sticking their hands into the federal wallet. I'm with DeMint.


they're lucky it wasn't an abortion clinic....they'd have had a RICO action filed against them by 2:30......

I was thinking the same thing.

Immie

[gabosaurus]

I will be very happy to move back to Anaheim soon, thank you...

[Kathianne]

DeMint keeps up the pressure:

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?print=yes&id=24832


Semper Fi, Berkeley
by Sen. Jim DeMint (more by this author)
Posted 02/06/2008 ET
Updated 02/06/2008 ET

When you mention "Berkeley, California" to most conservatives, they picture a leftist community of graying hippies, radicals, and protesters. Activities in the last few weeks have only reinforced this image.

The City Council of Berkeley last week voted to ask the U.S. Marine Corps to vacate their recruiting office in town, and that if they chose to stay they did so as "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

During debate of the resolution, one council member called the Marines "the President's own gangsters" and "trained killers." Another said the Marines had given the country "horrible karma" and said they had a history of "death and destruction." In a document drafted to support the resolution against the Marines, the council stated: "Military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits." ...

...

...I do not believe a city that has turned its back on our country's finest deserves $2 million worth of pork-barrel projects. So, I will introduce legislation to revoke the funding.

Included in the $2 million worth of pork are some particularly wasteful projects.

One earmark provides gourmet organic lunches to schools in the Berkeley School District. While our Marines are making due with MREs of Sloppy Joe and Chili with Beans, the organization Chez Panisse is getting federal tax dollars to design meals that promote "environmental harmony." Chez Panisse's menu features "Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad," "Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis" and "Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast."

Are we to understand that the city that has been home to many of the country's most rich and famous cannot afford to pay for its own designer school lunches?

Another $975,000 earmark is for the Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service at U.C. Berkeley, which may include cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. Is it really necessary to tax the paychecks of Marines so we can earmark nearly $1 million for a school that is already sitting on a $3.5 billion endowment?

Let me be clear, my bill does does not cut off all federal funds to the city of Berkeley, though I am sure most Americans would feel that is justified. My bill merely rescinds wasteful earmarks. Berkeley is free to compete with other towns and cities across America for merit-based federal grants.

Actions have consequences. When the Berkeley City Council decided to insult the Marines in a time of war, it was a $2 million decision. Especially in a time of war, we cannot just allow cities to play insulting games at our troops' expense while continuing to shower them with congressional favors.

[actsnoblemartin]

because boxer and feinstein keep fucking up calfornia


Why doesn't DeMint worry about South Carolina and let Boxer and Feinstein worry about California?

[red states rule]

If an earthquake would hit Berkley, do these liberal pinheads have any idea who the hell will be delivering the relief supplies?

I would like to see the US military drop off the supplies at the city limit sign and refuse to enter the city that does not want them there in the first place

[Classact]

If an earthquake would hit Berkley, do these liberal pinheads have any idea who the hell will be delivering the relief supplies?

I would like to see the US military drop off the supplies at the city limit sign and refuse to enter the city that does not want them there in the first placeI haven't read the entire thread but heard the Senate Majority Leader send a bill to the desk yesterday removing funds from Berkley and offered it for second reading... the clerk read something about $100,000,000 and was stopped by the leader... Here is a link when I tried to find an up to date link... http://www.ktvu.com/news/15240235/detail.html

[red states rule]

Berkley monbats cave on this one folks. When you tell a lib the government handouts will be revoked, they will always give up the fight


Berkeley Backs Off On Banning Marines
Berkeley Mayor Apologizes To Marines Over Recruiting Center Flap

POSTED: 10:08 am PST February 7, 2008
UPDATED: 6:43 pm PST February 7, 2008

BERKELEY, Calif. -- As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center.

Two City Council members vowed to soften their stance as well.

At their Tuesday council meeting, leaders will discuss scrapping a letter that might be perceived as targeting the center or the Marines.

The letter said that the recruiting center was not welcome on Shattuck Avenue and that the Marines were uninvited and unwelcome intruders.


for the complete article

http://www.nbc11.com/news/15245031/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

[PostmodernProphet]

so the folks in Berkley are not only mindless liberals, they are spinelss mindless liberals.......

[red states rule]

so the folks in Berkley are not only mindless liberals, they are spinelss mindless liberals.......

when it comes to the free handouts they will drop to their knees eveytime