Marines Vote Leads to Threat on (Berkeley) City Funds

[unhappycamper]

Marines Vote Leads to Threat on City Funds
By TAYLOR FIFE and JANE SHIN
Contributing Writers
Monday, February 4, 2008

What started with a set of resolutions against the Marine Corps recruiting center in Downtown Berkeley has escalated into a national controversy and caused the mayor to revisit the resolutions' intentions.

United States Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said Thursday he will introduce legislation that would strip $2,392,000 in earmarked spending for at least six projects in Berkeley from a Senate appropriations bill.

This includes $975,000 for UC Berkeley's Matsui Center on Politics and Public Service and $750,000 for a planned ferry service in Berkeley.

In a press release issued Thursday, DeMint said his proposed legislation was a response to the City Council's decision to support protesters who object to the recruiting station.

"This is a slap in the face to all brave service men and women and their families," DeMint said in a statement. "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."


Rest of article at: http://www.dailycal.org/article/100199/marines_vote_leads_to_threat_on_city_funds

[Dollface]

1. What are we fighting for again? Apparently not free speech.

[atreides1]

2. I've been asking that question for years now

The US military is no longer in the "Fighting for Freedom" business, they are now in the "Fighting for Resources" business, and it really doesn't matter that said resources belong to someone else.

[tularetom]

3. I've asked this before - why do the Marines even want a recruiting

center in Berkeley? For what it costs them to keep it open they probably aren't getting enough recruits to justify spending the money. Leadss me to believe they are just doing it to piss people off and provoke the type of confrontation that has developed.

I hope the people of Berkeley stand their ground on this and tell Dr Demento to go shit in his hat.

[Dollface]

4. It's the stupid politicians trying to make the front page. I don't picture the Marines whining

about a few protesters.