Posted: 5/8/2009 3:40:19 AM EDT
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/07/administration-proposes-significant-cuts-benefits-slain-officers/
WASHINGTON –– The Obama administration is asking Congress to slash almost in half a 43-year-old Justice Department program that provides death, disability and education benefits to the families of slain police and public safety officers.
President Obama's 2010 budget reduces funding for the Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits Program from $110 million this year to $60 million for next year's budget. The program, which pays benefits of more than $300,000 to the survivors of a safety officer killed in the line of duty, received $118 million in 2008. A Justice Department finance spokeswoman told FOX News that the proposed cut is a false statistic because the program requires "mandatory funding," which means the money is automatically paid to all the families of slain officers. The proposed reduction to $60 million pertains to a projection for the Justice Department's planning purposes and last year's figure was high because it included a number of families that weren't in the system before, Justice spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said. "Any family member who is eligible for benefits under this program will receive them," she said. "If the amount of claims surpasses the amount requested, the program will be further funded." This budget cut comes days before National Police Week in Washington. As is customary, Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to attend ceremonies honoring slain and disabled police officers. The program offers a one-time disability payment to officers who suffer "catastrophic" injuries in the line of duty. It also provides higher education subsidies to spouses and children of officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Killings of police officers reached their lowest point in decades last year, but are rising so far this year. So far this year, 45 officers have died in the line of duty, according to The Officer Down Memorial Page Web site. By the end of May 2008, 43 officers had been killed. For all of 2008, 134 officers died in the line of duty. this man has it in for this counrty one small bit at a time 
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So let's keep tabs on what Mr. Obama is actually cutting out of the federal budget:
- School Choice program in Washington DC that gave poor parents the opportunity to send their kids to the same schools that Obama and the legislators send their children to: $15 million dollars - Officer down benefits program: $50 million dollars |
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this may sound bad but i am not completely against that. while charity is good this is something that should be handled at the state and local level, with the exception of federal officers.
don't get me wrong i feel for the families of those officers, but the federal government shouldn't be paying death benefits <beyond SSI> for anyone. Yes there are other cuts i would like to see made first but in a time of financial crisis tough cuts are going to have to be made. The .gov will not be writing my widow a check if i die on the job. |
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Quoted:
So let's keep tabs on what Mr. Obama is actually cutting out of the federal budget: - School Choice program in Washington DC that gave poor parents the opportunity to send their kids to the same schools that Obama and the legislators send their children to: $15 million dollars - Officer down benefits program: $50 million dollars and this is the problem i have. neither are a function of the federal government. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
So let's keep tabs on what Mr. Obama is actually cutting out of the federal budget: - School Choice program in Washington DC that gave poor parents the opportunity to send their kids to the same schools that Obama and the legislators send their children to: $15 million dollars - Officer down benefits program: $50 million dollars and this is the problem i have. neither are a function of the federal government. Agreed. However, this is another one of those issues that reaches across political boundaries, i.e. you can be sure there are families of Obama voters that will be affected by this in the same way the DC School Choice program affected many of them. I guess if you have to prove you're serious about budget reductions, may as well start with school vouchers and benefits programs for slain officers. The John Murtha/Robert Byrd pork programs? Untouchable, of course. |
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honestly at this point i am for cuts to ANY program except those specifically enumerated to the federal government.
i don't like seeing officers families suffer either, but honestly that is not a tax payer function. i'd really prefer to see ALL foriegn aid programs suspended before any domestic cuts and mandated. If we are going to have the fed spend money it might as well be on our own people. let the rest of the world rot into the cesspools they have become. |