February 12, 2008

Republican Lawmakers Threaten Berkeley With Loss of Earmarks

Washington — Republicans in Congress are threatening to withhold more than $2-million in earmarks from the City of Berkeley and the University of California campus there if the City Council does not rescind a vote calling on military recruiters to leave the city.

Two Republicans, Rep. John B.T. Campbell of California and Sen. Jim W. DeMint of South Carolina, have offered legislation in the House of Representatives and Senate that would rescind the earmarks provided in the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill and transfer the money to the Marine Corps. The Senate could take up its version of the bill as early as tonight, provided no senator files an anonymous objection to the legislation.

“Berkeley needs to understand that their actions have consequences,” said Senator DeMint in a written statement. “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.”

The City Council is slated to vote tonight on whether to rescind the resolution, which said that recruiters that chose to remain in Berkeley would do so as “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” The resolution also applauded residents who “impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.”

Among the earmarks to the University of California at Berkeley is $975,000 for the Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service to create a new endowment and catalog the papers of the late U.S. Rep. Robert T. Matsui. —Kelly Field

Comments

1. Among the many questions this proposal raises is why UC-Berkeley should be penalized for the actions of the city council. Could someone please explain the logic behind that idea?

   — CU Alum    Feb 12, 05:56 PM    #

2. Because it is located in Berkeley, CA. The Mayor and city council run the city. They made their bed, let them lay in it! If the Marines aren’t welcome there, then federal tax dollars shouldn’t be either!

   — Durwood Forest    Feb 12, 06:20 PM    #

3. UCBerkley has shown their colours long before now. Their position forbidding recruitment was merely an undercard to attempting to throw the Marines out of the entire city. That there is a place in this country we in the military are not welcomed is mind-boggling. For so long, we’ve heard how the left supports us, but doesn’t want us in the war. Now we see what it is really about – hatred for the military. May we now drop the ‘but they support the troops’ nonsense from the public forum?

   — Steve    Feb 12, 06:26 PM    #

4. Durwood Forest:

   You can’t seriously believe that the city of Berkeley controls the university, can you? And even if that is what you believe, do you think Congress could justifiably withhold money from any entity in Berkeley — including local hospitals, community colleges, public schools, social service agencies, etc. based on what the council has done? If not, what makes UC different? (Surely the city government has at least as much control over them as it does over UC.)

   Steve:

   Your answer would make sense if the proposal was a reaction to the steps by UC that you describe. In reality, though, it is a response to the city council.

   — CU Alum    Feb 12, 06:32 PM    #

5. “That there is a place in this country we in the military are not welcomed is mind-boggling.”

   Well said, Steve!

   Stein hoist to you! Sir!!!

   — Durwood Forest    Feb 12, 06:37 PM    #

6. to bad so sad for the university. a little peer pressure as well financial pressure might go a long way.

   — jim    Feb 12, 07:00 PM    #

7. We know how UC Berkley feels about recruiters and by golly, it’s the same as the City Council. If UC has a problem with this, I’d suggest that they take it up with the City Council.

   The Marines are more entitled to be both in the city and on the campus than either entity is to the money they’re going to lose. Easy come, easy go.

   — Pablo    Feb 12, 07:00 PM    #

8. Today in Australia our Prime Minister Kenneth Ruud said, We are sorry in Australia to the lost generations, their families, friends and relatives. It is the start of the healing of a nation here in Australia. It is time that the USA does the same. The Senators who want to sanction Berkeley people’s free exercise of democratic principles are Enemy Combatants, to use the terms of The Commander in Chief President George W. Bush, of the USA and they should be arrested and sent to Guantanamo. They represent all what is wrong with American politics. It is time that those in Washington and Canberra unite the People of our two great countries, the USA and Australia. PM Kenneth Ruud did that today by forming a bipartisian commission to improve the conditions of the indigeneous people of Australia. It is time that President Bush do the same in the USA, form bipartisian commissions to tackle the big problems in the USA, the biggest two being the millions of people in the USA who have NO health insurance and the large numbers of people who are losing their homes due to job losses to India and China. President Bush should sanction those is his party who seek to divide Americans aganist each other. We all know both in Australia and the USA that the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf I and Gulf II wars were fought for all the wrong reasons. Now that we have said we are sorry to the lost genations here in Australia, it may now be time to say we also say we are sorry to the Koreans, Vietnamese, Iraqis, whose countries we devastated, and the parents and loved ones of all of our fallen heroes in wars which should never have been started. In WWI and WWII we knew who the enemy was. Korea, Vietnam, Gulf 1 and Gulf 2 were political wars. War and hate mongers who believed the hate sayings: Better dead than red. They are the one for the continued sanctions against Cuba and the assassination attempts on Fidel Castro and Chavez in Venezuela. If more cities were like Berkeley, we would have saved the lives of thousand of our young boys and men who died needlessly in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq, and probably millions of innocent civilians in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq!! Berkeley should be given special funds for advocating peace instead of war. as the Bible tells us, love your enemies, not kill them. Vengence is God’s not ours. We need more Mandelas, Ghandis and Dalai Lamas and fewer warmongers!!

   — KJJ    Feb 12, 07:02 PM    #

9. Shame on the city of Berkley! If the Marines are not welcome there, then the people of Berkley and UCBerkley are not welcome to my tax dollars. Come to think of it, even if the council rescinds the vote, I still do not want my tax dollars going there.

   — TRB    Feb 12, 07:17 PM    #

10. CU Alum?

    “You can’t seriously believe that the city of Berkeley controls the university, can you?”

    Nope.

    “And even if that is what you believe, do you think Congress could justifiably withhold money from any entity in Berkeley — including local hospitals, community colleges, public schools, social service agencies, etc. based on what the council has done?”

    Yep.

    Wait a minute… Public Schools??? Local Hospitals??? Are you serious?

    Nice try!

    — Durwood Forest    Feb 12, 07:22 PM    #

11. Right on! Shut down the tax payer pork for Berekely and the loons at UC.

    Next step – go after the kooks in San Francisco.

    — jbenson    Feb 12, 07:26 PM    #

12. http://www.aph.gov.au/house/Rudd_Speech.pdf
    for those interested in Prime Minister Kenneth’s Rudd today before the Australian pariliment:
    Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples

    — KJJ    Feb 12, 07:44 PM    #

13. Hey, CU ALUM,

    The logic is that the citizens of Berkeley voted these yoyos into office. The Berkeley city council represents the people that voted them into office. Their actions are representative of the feelings and wishes of Berkeley citizens. Therefore, since the council is so hostile towards the Marines and other Patriots that preserve their freedoms, then it would be logical to assume the citizens feel the same way. Furthermore, it would be illogical to continue giving Federal funding to a bunch of scum bags who want to undermine and chip away at the security structure of this nation. It is the men and women in our military that have provided and safeguarded our freedom. If Berkeley council is strongly against our military, then they don’t deserve any Federal Funding and they sure as hell don’t deserve to share in the freedom enjoyed by American citizens; the freedom that they seem to refuse to help protect. It will not be enough that Berkeley city council rescinds the one resolution but to rescind all three resolutions and any others that are hostile or negative towards our Marine Corps and other branches of military service. Plus, the Berkeley city council needs to make a public apology to all service people, whether active or inactive, and their families for demeaning them by the council’s reckless and unpatriotic actions. Berkeley city council and its citizens have the right to protest and voice their feelings, but what they did was attack and encourage further attacks against our military, especially our Marines. They crossed the line when they did that.
    As for #8 KJJ & #12 KJJ, you are a gutless lying Peter Puffer. I read your comments and the comments you attributed to Prime Minister Rudd. Most of the crap you wrote were your own personal feelings and you sound, to me, like you could be a terrorist recruiting idiots to your cause. Go back under the rock you crawled out from. I am a combat wounded disabled Vietnam Veteran, and I will not let the same thing that happened to us, to happen to present day brave men and women defending our country and freedom. Besides the physical aspect of war, there are the psychological aspects. You and people like you hinder the noble actions of our troops by undermining the psychological part of the war on terrorism. If you don’t agree in their cause and can’t support them, then shut your pie hole and let them do their job; don’t hurt their morale and encourage the enemy. To all our troops and Veterans I say “Thank You”, and to all Marines and Corpsmen I say “Semper Fi”.

    — Jose Cruz    Feb 12, 09:42 PM    #

14. KJJ:
    Clean your own house before trying to clean others. In simple terms for your simple brain, that means “buzz off” in telling the U. S. what to do. If it weren’t for us, most of the world would be speaking German and Japanese.

    — lilllypearl    Feb 13, 01:00 AM    #

15. CU Alum,

    Why should residents of the economicly depressed state of Michigan contribute to an additional one million dollar subsidy over the already 3.5 billion dollar subsidy uc berkeley is priveleged with, towards the negligable benefit of organizing a former congressman’s papers for poterity?

    — jummy    Feb 13, 02:51 AM    #

16. Completely naive when people lump together a University and the city that it resides in, simply based on proximity. To follow that line of reasoning, we can assume every single person is Texas is Mexican, all Asians know Kung-fu, and everyone in the middle east are terrorists. Did I leave anyone out?

    UC Berkeley has had an ROTC program for over 100 years now. http://armyrotc.com/edu/univcaberkeley/history.htm

    UC Berkeley is currently involved with lawsuits against the city.

    The only things worse than idiots on the city council making that poor decision are people who believe all University personnels (students, faculty, etc) are actually residents of Berkeley and have a say in who becomes city council members. For students, its called a temporary address and most people stick to their PERMANENT address. For faculty, most people in the U.S. travel from a different city to go to work.

    Seriously, its these types of generalizations that make people like “Jose Cruz” and “Steve” exactly the same type of people as the Berkeley city council members. While the council members associate and generalize a recruiting office with supporting the war (flawed logic), people who know nothing about the relationship between the University and the city (it’s bad) associate and generalize the two entities together based on a common word “Berkeley”. Another flawed logic.

    Granted there is no way for outsiders to understand the truth when they haven’t even visited the area, but know that you are making exactly the same mistake they are. At this rate, why not keep pushing to cut more funding for UC Berkeley and get rid of that ROTC program??

    — Scott    Feb 13, 04:10 AM    #

17. It may now be time to say we also say we are sorry to the Koreans, Vietnamese, Iraqis, whose countries we devastated, and the parents and loved ones of all of our fallen heroes (HEROES!!) in wars which should never have been started. In WWI and WWII we knew who the enemy was. Korea, Vietnam, Gulf 1 and Gulf 2 were political wars.

    We need more Mandelas, Ghandis and Dalai Lamas and fewer warmongers!!

    Ask the South Africans, British and Mainland Communist Chinse if they consider Mandella, Ghandi and the Dalai Lama terrorists? Two of the three won the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE and the third was killed by a TERRORIST as was Bhutto in Pakistan. Those who advocate peaceful and non violent solutions to the problems of the world are called by you terrorists? Strange, but I respect your right to belief. All our Korean, Vietnam, Iraq 1 and Iraq 2 veterans are HEROES, as I have said!! Those that served their country honorably should be honored and thanked for that. I have relatives who served honorably in both Korea and Vietnam and it was HELL! Wars which we could not win and did more damage to the moral and respect for our troops than any wars we have fought in our history. And what did we win in Korea and Vietnam. The South Koreans tell our soldiers stationed there protecting them from the North Koreans, Yankee go home!! I have told them, when we go home, do not expect us to come back and defend you when the North Koreans and Mainland Communist Chinese come again. They shut up pretty quick. I am 100 percent behind our soliders in the field who serve honorably, who are heroes, but not for the commanders and politicians who put them into positions where they cannot win and just see their mates and buddies blown away. Iraq is the same. These are wars we cannot win. Just like the Brits could not beat us on our soil. See the Patroit with Aussie actors: Mel Gibson and the former Heath Ledger. Those are the kind of wars we have put our soldiers in in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. The Russians did the same and the Afghanis kicked their butts with the help of our CIA and support. Now the same is happening to our soldiers in Iraq. How many young boys and men must die before we learn that wars, murder, killing is not the solution. For every bomb which we drop which kills innocent men, women and children, how many terrorist do WE CREATE by our so-called right for revenge. Many believe in the old testament eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life. But what did God tell those who kill Cain for killing Abel? Where does it end. Even the IRA (Irish Republican Army) has layed down their arms in Northern Ireland and have said enough is enough. Arafat realize that violence is not the solution also, as did Mandella after many years in prison. We need to do the same. Time for us to solve our conflicts with peaceful means (whenever possible). But I am 100 percent for UN peacekeeping internvention into places like Sudan and the Balkans. It was a disgrace that the Europeans did nothing during the ethnic and religious cleansing in the Balkans. The Balkans war was for something, as we were saving innocent lives, not taking them. What were the wars in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq for? We do not even have the support of the Koreans (they say Yankee go home), Vietnamese and Iraqis. It is good to help those who ask for help, which we did during WWI, WWII and the Balkans. But who asked us to go to Korea, Vietnam and Iraq?
    So Joe Cruz, Ghandi, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandella, and I are not terrorists and we do not make/create terrorists. We do not advocate violence and terrorist acts to resolve our differences. We are lovers of peace and peaceful means to solutions. But we all realize that UN Peacekeepers are necessary to prevent the problems which occured in the Balkans and which are occuring in Sudan. Our soldiers who served HONORABLY (and they know who they are) in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans are ALL HEROES and are well respected. They deserve a HEROES Welcome when the return and I think they all deserve preference for Civl Servant jobs with the government afterwards (Federal, State and Local). And all of the Medical Expeenses should be paid. If we can pay the medical and retirement expenses of the commanders and politicians who sen them there, then we can cover theirs. But those who served dishonorably and killed innocent civilians, women and children, they are the enemy of the USA and are DIRECTLY responsible for TERRORISM. AS the loved ones of those INNOCENT Women and Children killed/murdered/raped/tortured demand their revencge also. And when they pray to God, he will hear their prayers. He does not sanction the shedding of innocent blood, no matter what the political, religious, economic, sexual, … beliefs. Those who shed innocent blood should all be held accountable, on both sides.

    — KJJ    Feb 13, 06:19 AM    #

18. OK fine, Berkeley city council has stepped over the line.

    Now tell me, how did these Congressmen vote on Bush’s various proposals that have had the effect of eviscerating Veteran’s benefits? Have they said anything about Bush’s stop-loss policies? Where were they when the conditions at Walter Reed were revealed?

    Is there a whiff of hypocrisy in th air? Some grand standing maybe? Just asking.

    — Stuart Dryer    Feb 13, 08:29 AM    #

19. The best solution is to give Berkley (City and Campus) their own State status and ship them to their own island (without Marines). That is unless Australia wants them. They are welcome to these “entities”.

    — MME    Feb 13, 10:19 AM    #

20. Why should anyone be responsible for anything (other than Love)? Obama is like our father and will soon take us in his arms and under his warm care.

    — Tom    Feb 13, 10:41 AM    #

21. Hell I propose not a single dime of US taxpayer money in any capacity should go to overtly Anti-American Cities, municipalities and States. Berkley is America’s sewer…all the trash and bile in America end up there…with some temporarily stopping to be college professors all over the country.

    — md1964    Feb 13, 10:52 AM    #

22. I find it humorous to hear all the ranting and raving. The fact is that two republicans aren’t going to be able to do anything in a now democrat controlled congress, and soon to be white house. So spout, spout, spout. As for the disabled Vietnam vet’s comments. I also am a Vietnam combat vet, and I find you embarassingly ignorant.

    — BC    Feb 13, 10:55 AM    #

23. “Bush’s various proposals that have had the effect of eviscerating Veteran’s benefits?”

    A lie. In fact Veterans’ benefits have grown at a higher rate during Bush’s term than during Clinton, who cut the military in half.

    “Where were they when the conditions at Walter Reed were revealed?”

    Who was in charge of the pursestrings? Oh, that’s right. it was Dianne Feinsten who was in charge of MILCOM, and who had to step down because it was discovered that she was using the position to funnel contracts to her husband and his cronies.

    — jummy    Feb 13, 11:07 AM    #

24. You know, we’ve had an absolutely tragic war going on unabated and un-won for over five years—-longer than it took for WWII—with no end in sight and a Republican presidential nominee who pledges to stay there 100 years more if necessary (what would Sun Tzu say about that????). So far Berkeley is the only town to protest, pathetic as this attempt is. The Republicans are astonishingly lucky the whole country isn’t in the streets.

    — marci    Feb 13, 12:07 PM    #

25. Let’s get this straight: the vandalism and obstruction of military recruiting centers and the smearing of military recruiters as“predators” is not an “antiwar” protest. It is an anti-military protest.

    We may also care to return to the matter of organizations such as Iinternational ANSWER and World Can’t Wait being slaveringly millitant pro-war organizations, albeit for the other side.

    Progressives are not “antiwar”. They are anti-American.

    — jummy    Feb 13, 01:08 PM    #

26. These ungrateful radicals protest because our military protect their rights. They don’t know the value of freedom and responsibility. The Congress of the United States should stop paying these ungrateful hooligans with our tax dollars. I wonder how many of them are receiving federal funds so that they can create problems.

    — kvc    Feb 13, 01:37 PM    #

27. I am always surprised at the uninformed/illogical comments on a forum attached to a publication concerning “Higher Ed”. In any case, very small donations from a relatively small number of people who identify as either “supporters of peace” or “supporters of free speech” (the City Council action under discussion is, after all, simply a resolution) will make up for and probably exceed any punitive actions by a legislative body.

    — rich wynne    Feb 13, 02:07 PM    #

28. I would love the opportunity to direct where my tax dollars went, e.g. NOT to states with barrier-like abortion laws.

    — Brian    Feb 13, 03:57 PM    #

29. Quite a rant. There is not much connection between UC and the city. But UC gets collateral damage.
    Where did the “peaceful” US get all these war lovers??

    — RC    Feb 13, 06:14 PM    #

30. I’m curious why ANY city gets money via federal earmarks. The whole earmark process is secretive, illogical, and patently unfair. I’d love to see a constitutional amendment against
    ALL earmarks.

    — Mark Smith    Feb 13, 07:29 PM    #

31. As a tax payer, I don’t think a stance against recruiters is the same as a stance against the military. This conversation has gone all over the place. We live in a democracy where we all have the right to express our opinion. I don’t think “all members” of either the city or the university should be painted with one brush. Therefore, to prevent tax dollars from going to tax payers is absolutely the most un-American thing I’ve heard. I hope they get a lawyer.

    Secondly, anyone in the military who fights for “OUR” freedom should also be willing to stand up for the exercise of freedom even when the stand is disagreeable to you.

    You can’t be allegedly willing to fight for “OUR” freedom and then deny the right of that very expression.

    — Kimberly    Feb 14, 03:16 PM    #

32. I’ve read through this entire dialog on this page. Ladies and Gentlemen, there will never be any agreement between us because our soldiers (Marines, Army) our airmen, our sailors have fought for our right to agree or disagree.
    I have a problem believing that the entire staff at the Berkley campus of UC is in agreement with the city officials of Berkley. Being a college graduate, and having worked for the goverment for 22 years, I can almost guarantee you that not all of the staff 1) is in agreement with the officials and 2) live in the city of Berkley.
    Enough said about that though.
    As for those of you who are veterans of one branch or another, Welcome home Sir or Maam. I’m your sister- having served in the Army from 79 to 82 and being an MP, a daughter of both a WW II and Korean vet, and niece and cousin of those who have served since WW II to today. Currently our family has a member who is on his 4th tour to Iraq. We pray for him and all of those who are there or any where else our government sends them.
    As a Mom who have 2 sons who are waiting their turns to join the ranks of veterans in our family- half of me is worried- that half being Mom, the other half says ALL THE WAY- 110% behind you. Their friends have the same feelings and I’ll back them 110% too. And yes my youngest is going into the Marines. My oldest- is headed for the Army’s Apache helicopters.
    So those of you who wish to discourage the recruiters, won’t back our troops, and agree with the Berkley officials, the next time you think, speak, or in some instances just breathe- thank the veteran who is there for you. Thank his family too because they have a hard part to do too- the waiting.

    — Mary    Feb 25, 05:29 PM    #

33. I think I smelled a laywer in the group. We can agree to disagree because of recruiters every where. The 2 million is really not much after taxes, the whole bunch should be fined the cost for all the time and money they have cost every one. If all of this had to printed on paper we would have to grow another forrest. Then watch who would come out of the “wood work”.

    Semper Fi

    — Russ    Feb 25, 11:41 PM    #

34. Marines
    The Few, The Proud…
    Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Chosin Resovoir, Khe San, Afghanistan and Iraq. Thanks for your sacrifice and thanks for my freedom. Those funny Berkeley people are in the minority. People where I live love the military just like most Americans do.

    — CH    Feb 29, 10:40 PM    #

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