(MELANIE MORGAN) From the 'Right' Coast (Semper Fi Act of 2008)

MelanieMorgan.Org ^ | Feb 8, 2008 | Melanie Morgan

[Syncro]

From the 'Right' Coast

Written by Melanie Morgan   

Friday, 08 February 2008

Senators Introduce Semper Fi Act of 2008

Bill Stops Berkeley Earmarks and Transfers Funds to Marine Corps

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008. The bill would rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-California) is introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Last week, the City Council of Berkeley voted to oust Marine Corps recruiters from their downtown office, saying the Marines were "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Berkeley officials also voted to give the radical protest group Code Pink space outside the recruitment office and urged them to "impede, passively or actively" the work of Marine Corps recruiters.

One earmark provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization Chez Panisse to create gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to "environmental harmony" and their menu features "Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad," "Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis," and "Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast."

Another earmark would spend $975,000 in taxpayer dollars for the University of California in Berkeley Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, to create a new endowment and cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. U.C. Berkeley currently already has a $3.5 billion endowment.

Senator Inhofe: "Unfortunately, those on the Berkeley city council do not seem to understand the sacrifice of the brave men and women of the United States Marine Corps. By interfering with military recruiting, the city of Berkeley is hampering our ability to protect this nation. While the city of Berkeley and the protestors are free to say whatever they like, free speech is not a protection from consequence."

Senator DeMint: "Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences. Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town. Berkeley City Council members have shown complete ingratitude to our military and their families, and the city doesn't deserve a single dime of special pet project handouts."

Senator Cornyn: "The Berkeley City Council insulted our troops and offended people across the country. If the U.S. Marines are not good enough for Berkeley, neither are taxpayer dollars Congress would have sent there this year. That city closed its doors on the same individuals taking bullets on the front lines while fighting for the safety and freedom of families in Berkeley and throughout America."

Senator Vitter: "The actions of the City Council of Berkeley are in stark contrast to beliefs of the vast majority of Americans who recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of our U.S. Marines. This is simply unacceptable and those funds could be better utilized by the Marine Corps."

Dr. Coburn: "The actions by the city of Berkeley are deplorable and insulting to those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the very freedoms that are being exercised to insult them. I know I stand with the majority of Americans in thanking our service men and women for their selfless service to our nation."

Senator Chambliss: "We need to send a strong message that our military personnel deserve our strongest support. Georgia is a proud military state, and my constituents will be out outraged to know that during a time of war, their taxpayers dollars have been used to reward folks who have insulted and disparaged those who defend this nation every day."

[Syncro]

Of course Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have come out against this bill.

And the Berkeley receipients of this money are crying "womyn and children will miss their Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad and starve without it"

[2ndDivisionVet]

This isn’t over until they take back their earlier decision, apologize to the Marine Corps and all resign!

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The petition

We, the undersigned condemn the Berkeley City Council’s treasonous attack on US Marine Recruiters stationed in their city. We ask that Congress cut off funds from any and all municipal entity within the confines of the city of Berkeley, California, until such time as the city council withdraws it’s action.

The City Council has voted to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and “if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests.”

The measure passed last week by a vote of 8-1.

The council also voted to explore enforcing a city anti-discrimination law, focusing on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

In a separate item, the council voted, also 8-1, to give the Marxist protest group Code Pink a parking space in front of the recruiting office once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cutoffberkeleynow

If you wish to, please share with your friends or e-mail to your address books

[Syncro]

This isn’t over until they take back their earlier decision, apologize to the Marine Corps and all resign!

You got that right. They of course have been all over the place with their Clintonian "apologies" which do not address their actions but just are there to make them feel good.

Even if they did a sincere apology, it's too late for them.

Hopefully when the local business owners that are fairly normal capitslists will start a recall drive when they start losing money.

Throw them out of office!

[maine-iac7]

gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to "environmental harmony" and their menu features "Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad," "Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis," and "Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast."

Money taken out of our pockets for this???

Criminal I think all pork barrel give-a-ways should be made public - we have a right to know what they are doing with the money they steal from us =

[Syncro]

You got that right!

They are such idiots.

They are going to be called on the carpet even by their own residents I imagine. Berkeley isn’t all “take my money and give it to the liberal nut crowd”

They picked a fight with the Marines, how smart is that?

You diss our troops, you have most of America down on your case.

[Huskrrrr]

Hell hath no fury like Melanie Morgan. Go girl!!!

[NormsRevenge]

God Bless the Marines and Kudos and Much Love and Continued Success to the Folks at MAF!

[adversarial]

$2 million in hidden earmarks?

gourmet organic school lunches?

WTF?

[Syncro]

Ya think they wanted the American Taxpayers (And the Berkeley City taxpayers) to know what their hard earned money is being wasted on in Berkeley?

You gotta know that the yarnbag hippies that are running the "school" for-the-children lunch program are chowing down on these goodies.

Probably giving the kids PBJ samiches!

They gonna rue the day they took on the Marines. That's the same as attacking America!

[maine-iac7]

You diss our troops, you have most of America down on your case.

They live in a aging hippy bubble out there - they hate the military and think everyone else does too.

OOPS!

Big awakening...