Is There a Connection Between the CA Fires and the Passing of the Forest-Thinning Bill?
I just love movies and many of the political thrillers are based around a conspiracy theory or two. Well, I've just been thinking. Let me have you try this one on for size.
On September 14, I mentioned in my post the Salon article Black Copters Over Oregon, which suggested that the forest fires that started the week Bush visited Oregon were coordinated to help promote and gain support for the Healthy Forest Initiative. The following was my description of this article:
Bill Donahue, a writer from Portland, Oregon, went in search of answers to the August forest fires (Bear Butte and Boothe) and that just happened to be going in time for the president’s arrival and speech about his controversial Healthy Forest Initiative–the "thinning of over 20 million acres of fire-prone public forests." The timing of these fires coincides with eye-witness accounts of seeing Chinook military helicopters flying from the very sites.
With this article in mind, I find it most peculiar that these California fires, the deadliest and costliest the state has seen, were raging just in time for the US Senate’s vote on the Forest-Thinning Bill, held October 30th. (The Senate went on to pass the bill by a vote of 80 to 14.)
This is what I have gleaned from news reports that tantalizes my conspiracy-minded thinking:
- Bush has a "private meeting" with Arnold in San Bernadino on October 16th, as report according to KGTV The San Diego Channel.
- Eleven fires are started between the dates of October 21st and the 26th (2 on 10/21; 1 on 10/23; 1 on 10/24; 3 on 10/25; and 3 on 10/26).
- One of two fires that began on 10/21 started on Camp Pendleton territory. An investigation is under way to determine the official cause.
- Schwarzenegger visits Washington and Congress on October 29th. The papers reported that Arnold was initially supposed to be there for a victory visit but it ended up as an opportunity to drum up aid and support for the victims of the fires. (Was this victory visit scheduled before Bush’s visit on October 16th? I don’t know.)
Nevertheless, what started with a Bush/Arnold meeting on October 16th ended with a Cheney/Arnold meeting on October 30th.
(Intermission: Wouldn’t it have been great to be a fly on the wall in that meeting? I can just see it now. "We have been watching you young Terminator. You are strong, ruthless; you know how to handle the women. We knew you would come to your senses and join us on the dark side. This is the only way, Arnold. You will do our bidding, I assure you. And Arnold, I am your father." Something like that, I'm sure.)
Back to reality.
The Green groups don’t entertain the conspiracy theory, which is wise of them, of course. They respond to this vote in an excerpt of the Reuters news report regarding the vote. (I included all noteworthy paragraphs.)
Green groups said Republicans have used wildfires in the West as a scare tactic to open up more old growth trees coveted by timber companies. So far this year, some 3.5 million acres of forest land have been scorched in the drought_stricken West, compared to 7 million acres (2.8 million ha) last year.
"(The bill) is a politically motivated rush to judgment that fails to adequately address the need for improved fire protection," said Shannon Collier, policy analyst with Taxpayers for Common Sense. "It does a lot for federal lands, but it does little for the American public."
The Senate bill would target thinning small trees and brush in forest land, with at least half the funds earmarked for local communities. It would also limit judicial review by requiring judges to review preliminary injunctions blocking logging projects every 60 days.
The Senate voted to drop several amendments offered by Democrats that removed or sought to modify key provisions of the bipartisan legislation.
"We have a chance ... to protect communities that are at risk," said Boxer. "It is just common sense that the real purpose of this bill should be the protection of our people."
Boxer proposed a rule that required 70 percent of the funding used to treat forests be conducted near residential areas, but lawmakers voted 61_36 against it.
Separately, the House was set to clear on Thursday $2.9 billion in fire fighting and forest thinning funding for 2004 as part of a $20.2 billion annual spending bill for public lands programs.
The total included $400 million in emergency funds to replenish federal accounts drained by fighting big wildfires in the West in recent years. Congress approved $300 million for the same purpose in a disaster package last month.
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