Government Dirt

The Govenator wants it back, since about half of California's National Guard equipment is gone, which leaves civilians vulnerable in the event of a fire or an earthquake. Everything from radios to humvees was taken and has never been returned or replaced. Other governors are complaining as well, starting with the Kansas governor,
"Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, said last May that her state's response to a tornado in the town of Greensburg was limited because 15 of the Kansas National Guard's 19 Black Hawk helicopters were overseas, along with trucks, bulldozers and other equipment,"
according to a San Francisco Gate article, before it goes on to say,
"During the Southern California fires in October, some local officials complained about a lack of air support to contain the blazes, while state and federal officials criticized the U.S. military for failing to deploy some of its C-130 planes immediately after the fires broke out.

A few weeks later, when high winds threatened to worsen fires in Southern California, four of the planes were sent after state officials asked for help.

About 2,500 of the state's National Guardsmen are overseas out of a force of more than 20,000. The state estimates that $1 billion worth of equipment is being used, from diesel generators to trucks to GPS devices.

The California National Guard is also stretched thin because about 1,400 guardsmen are helping the federal government to secure the border with Mexico.

"There's only so long you can do that," the governor said. "We now are missing 50 percent of the equipment - the equipment also (used) to train the National Guard."

This is absolutely unacceptable. It is never ok to put civilians in danger because the government required use of equipment needed to protect the home front. More evidence that the Bush administration is full of it.
The government's first responsibility is to protect it's citizenry, and Bush fails this. He allows the equipment to be taken from states that use it regularly (as any Californian or Kansasan can tell you) to PROTECT their people to Iraq.
I have no issue protecting those serving in Iraq, but with as much as we spend on silly government projects, don't you think we could manage to spend at least some of it legitimately? But new equipment for the troops and return the other stuff!