Good luck if disaster strikes

[SHRED]

---

Looks like governmental protection, of our people, is low priority in the Bush camp.

---

National guard equipment levels lowest since Sept. 11
By Peter Spiegel, Times Staff Writer
5:42 PM PDT, May 9, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon, bearing the brunt of criticism for shortfalls in National Guard supplies in the wake of last week's devastating tornado in Kansas, acknowledged Wednesday that Army National Guard units currently had only 56 percent of their required equipment.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate hearing that current equipment levels are the lowest since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He said that the Bush administration's current defense budget request, which asks for $22 billion for the Army National Guard over the next five years, would take guard units up to 76 percent of their authorized equipment levels.

"There's no question that there's been a drawdown of equipment in the National Guard," Gates said, adding that even before Sept. 11, guard units normally were equipped at about 75 percent. "Clearly we need to follow through with this program to rebuild the stocks of equipment that are available to the National Guard."

Gates faced pointed questions on guard readiness at a Capitol Hill hearing from a bipartisan group of senators, who argued that repeated deployments to Iraq were causing shortages in equipment needed for homeland security and national disaster response.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-guard10may10,1,5024692.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true


===

[liberal N proud]

1. Natural disasters are noting but a photo-op for the bu$h

The Texas Chainsaw moron.
If those people in those disaster areas think this little bastard cares for them, they are delusional.
The people of Greensburg, KS were smart, they would talk to the displaced people in NOLA and other gulf communities.

[blues90]

3. we are on our own with just about everything now

It's one sick joke and the only ones laughing are bush and his damn wealthy friends .

I do hope the people have the last laugh sooner or later .

[Democrats_win]

2. I understand the the NG leaves their equipment in Iraq forever.