Texas fires and drought cost farms $5.2bn

[SpiralHawk]

Source: Financial Times

"Wildfires are raging across central Texas, compounding drought that has caused $5.2bn in agricultural losses and led ranchers in the largest cattle-producing US state to rush to slaughter.

"At the weekend, the Texas Forest Service responded to 63 new fires, many fanned by winds from tropical storm Lee...

(snip)...

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/479a5254-d722-11e0-bc73-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1XGlweFIc

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Too bad for Texas that pResidenTial WannaBE Perry (R) and his RepubliBagger Cronies are 'in charge' and have totally screwed the Texas fire service rendering it all but impotent in the face of this disaster...

[ananda]

1. Yes, I understand that Perry and the Reeps cut funding...

... to the volunteer fire departments here in Texas.

[City Lights]

2. By 75%, and now ricky is whining about the response from the Feds.

:eyes:

Use those bootstraps, ricky!

[SpiralHawk]

3. Sad sad sad Republicon FAIL

all around...as a former firefighter myself, I am acutely aware of how STOOPID the Republicon slashing was...

The CONS probably wanted to gut the VOLUNTEERS who were serving their towns, Texas, and America -- so they could eventually replace them with a Republicon Profit-Making Privatized Company (R) to enrich a few more Republicon FATCATS.

As usual.

[AnneD]

4. This has been ....

the worst drought I can ever remember. And the old farmers at the feed store say it is already as bad as the dust bowl. On the drive up to bro farm over Labor Day, what scared me was not all the patrol cars on the road, but all the vultures in the air. They were not hanging around the road, they were out in the pastures going after dead cattle and wildlife. Does are abandoning their fawns because they cannot produce milk. Auction barns are flooded with cows that the farmers are selling off because they can no longer feed them. Beef prices are low now but you will not be able to afford it in the near future. Farmers are harvesting what poor cotton yields they have but are not plowing out planting...they want to hold the top soil down.

I know there are lots of folks on this thread that hate Texas, and I can't change that, but there are many DUer's that call Texas home and don't appreciate some of the cruel and petty comments posted here. We warned you about Bush and he stole the election twice. We are happy Rick Perry is running because we have been trying to get rid of him and have successfully block many of his loonier ideas. He has some powerful people that have been grooming him. Don't look for him to carry Texas, he won this last election with only a little over 1/3rd the total vote.

[Jefferson23]

5. Well stated AnnieD. I have recently been to Austin and the impact the drought has had is

devastating..the level of heat I have never experienced before. I hope more is done to help Texas, the sooner the better.

Stay well.

[florida08]

6. am truly sorry

and agree. It's about the residents. Cronyism is everywhere. Florida got a lot of thrashing during the Bush sham election. We don't know how to vote apparently. Then came the fallout about Katherine Harris and her role in purging the voter's registry. But the whole thing was disastrous.

The pictures are horrific. Beartracks posting one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4986465">Post 52

[bongbong]

7. For the teabaggers

Advice for Texas teabaggers and repigs: PRAY HARDER! REFUSE BIG GOVERNMENT HELP! SOCIALISM! :sarcasm:

I sure hope Texas Dems & Progressives are making hay with this issue, showing that "evil socialism" and cutting spending is DIRECTLY tied to the drought disaster.

[bongbong]

8. Onion

http://www.theonion.com/articles/tea-party-congressman-calls-for-tax-breaks-to-put,21242/

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, SpiralHawk.

[Auntie Bush]

10. Texans better hit Perry for assistance because he doesn't trust or like Gov.

[Uben]

11. Simple solution......declare Texas a bank

And, since we would be the biggest "state bank", we would be too big too fail! Instant bail-out!

Damn, do I have to think of everything?

[annm4peace]

12. will MSNBC ask about the cuts in the debate ????