Why would anyone want to cut funding for the National Weather Service??

[center rising]

President Obama has threatened to cut funding, the GOP has also. The NWS does tremendous work and has improved in lead times for tornadoes and other severe weather alerts. It makes no sense to cut funding for a government operation that actually helps people. Please, don't cut this vital program!!


http://www.examiner.com/weather-in-cleveland/president-obama-threatening-to-cut-the-budget-of-the-national-weather-service

[DirkGently]

1. I hadn't heard this. Love to hear an explanation if it's so. Link?

[jmowreader]

2. Not sure about the president's motives but...

the Republicans think the for-profit AccuWeather can completely replace the National Weather Service...which would make sense if AccuWeather wasn't using National Weather Service data in its work.

[madokie]

3. when did President Obama threaten to cut funding for nws?

Link please

[center rising]

5. Link is there, just posted it.

[Marie Marie]

4. If I am remembering correctly, Icky Ricky was for this years ago.

and I remembered thinking the exact same thing. Why indeed?

[elleng]

6. Pretty clear to me that PrezO doesn't WANT to cut NWS funding,

but trying to deal w very tough budget problems. Improper use of term 'wants,' and doesn't refer to NWS issues, imo.

'The president's 2013 budget proposal wants to cut over $40 million dollars. The cuts also include the proposal to rid the position of computer specialist job (ITO) at every forecast office across the country. This proposal would also eliminate research efforts to improve our forecasting for hurricane intensity and air quality forecasting.'

[agent46]

7. That's an easy one

Step one - drown it in the bathtub
Step two - privitization and profit for the %1.

[markpkessinger]

8. Bingo! n/t

[oldhippydude]

13. you beat me to it

poison pill ala post office

[jberryhill]

9. Predicting the future is witchcraft

[MrMickeysMom]

10. To reduce visible evidence of climate change"

Just a wild ass guess...

[JDPriestly]

11. To make our GDP look bigger and to make our private sector look larger than it really is.

Our private sector is lacking in creativity. To make money it is cannibalizing traditionally governmental functions -- like delivering mail and packages, like educating people K-12, like running local hospitals (a lot of which were community hospitals when they began), like many military functions.

[steve2470]

12. link here also:

http://nwseo.org/media_center.php

[Owlet]

14. That link has some odd stories other than the 'cut' one

"Clevelanders, we need to stand behind our meteorologists that deliver the accurate forecast and state the truth. Support Mark and Andre’s claims on the lies, government cover-ups, and government make-ups by the paid scientists."

I thought there was a 'rule' against posting links to RW websites. Of course, I've just violated it.

http://www.examiner.com/weather-in-cleveland/cleveland-meteorologists-under-fire-for-proving-global-warming-a-myth