I’m hearing a lot of folks screaming that Eric Holder, our new attorney general, is spitting on America’s police. This is because he’s carrying the message that the Obama administration wants to cut death benefits for officers slain in the line of duty by almost fifty per cent.
Now, Mr. Holder would not have been my first choice as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. That said, I think he’s getting a bad rap on this one.
A careful reading of the proposal (SEE LINKS ATTACHED< AP and FOX) shows that the individual death benefits to slain officers’ family survivors will remain at $300,000 plus per fatal event. The administration wants to reduce the budget because fewer officers are dying.
The relative reduction in police death toll is something to cheer about. Body armor, invented circa 1970 by Second Amendment advocate Richard Davis, has played a big part in this. So has improved training in weapons and tactics. Another big part of the death toll reduction is attributable to the tremendous advances that have been made in the practice of emergency trauma medicine in recent years. When I came on in the early 1970s, the only trauma dressing in the patrol car was a box of sanitary napkins, placed there for precisely that purpose. Today, I know departments where cops are issued Israeli battle dressings to carry in the cargo pockets of their uniform pants on routine patrol. Things have gotten better.
It doesn’t mean that it’s safe to be a cop. Yesterday, I spoke on the phone with Interim Sheriff Ed Spooner of Okaloosa County, Florida. Two of his deputies, both fine and courageous public servants, were murdered a few weeks ago. Sheriff Spooner and I agree that there are lessons other cops can learn from this tragic sacrifice, and I’ll be getting back with him in a few weeks after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement completes its investigation. In recent weeks we’ve seen the murders of four officers in Oakland and three in Pittsburgh.
Police work is still dangerous. But, I have to say, the Attorney General does not seem to deserve the hard knocks he’s getting on this particular issue.
Even though I am not a, “single issue” voter, I am extremely supportive of everyone’s second amendment rights and deeply troubled by Obama’s appointment of Eric Holder. I haven’t read reports on Chicago’s gun and crime statistics, but it seems like for a city with a lot of regulation, that their gun crimes are above most other areas of the country. I have an endangered pension myself but I have not had nearly the risk and danger that our law enforcement officers face every day. If Eric has an agenda to attack the second amendment, I doubt if he will seriously make an effort with issues pending like, health care and stimulus spending, energy policy, etc. I agree in that I think this was more of a fiscal move than personal motivation. I hope the 60 something Democratic Senators come together when the rubber meets the road!
Mas,
When I first heard about the budget cut for the befefit of the families of fallen officers I was dismayed.
I really thought our current Attorney General was out to “backdoor” us. As I looked in to the issue more I came to pretty much the same conclusion you did, but with a caveat.
The caveat is, there is no guarantee that if more money is needed to fund the program that it will be appropriated. It has been, in the past, but that was the past, not now. So, in a sense, we could be “backdoored” and once the money runs out this fine program could be rolled up and put on a shelf to never see the light of day again.
With all that said, I am a “One Issue” voter and proud of it. I vote for whom I believe will do the least damage to a document that I hold sacred, and while President Bush wasn’t perfect I feel he was better than the clowns we have in office now, but that’s just my opinion.
The current administration has made a lot of decisions I don’t personally agree with, but I can find two that I do agree with. One was shooting the Somali Pirates, the other was giving the axe to an Air Force Program. Both were the right call IMHO.
Take care and stay safe,
Biker
He still did it wrong…
What should of been done…
1) Adjust the benefit up for inflation and to help during a tough economy. Say $333,000.
2) Then reduce the fund allocation. While putting a rider that if something were to occur, that funds would be made available so no family of a decease law enforcement officer would be left unaided.
This is what is wrong with the factionalization of America. Yes, Holder is what he is. But attacking people from the other side with any club that comes to hand, even if the facts are misrepresented is counter productive. Sadly if the conservatives chose not to attack liberals this way it would not be reciprocated, they would just be handing the other side a free shot.
I don’t know but still think anyone connected to Obama needs to be watched and kepted an eye on.
Holder is an Attorney and he is a General… Therefore, his motives should always be suspect and he should be watched very, very carefully.
I think it’s BS to cut ay funding to any programs that benefit the families of the officers. Most Police forces are already undrefunded and staffed.
When you think back to the pre-election comments about how we should have a ‘National Police Force’ that is as ‘well trained and armed as our military’ . . . maybe this is just the beginning of dismantling the current State and Local forces. Would make it so much easier to ‘outlaw’ the opposition that way, much as Marx, and Hitler did.
I only hope our nation will survive the next 4 years under this current ?leadership?