Berkeley's anti-Marines declaration prompts bills to strip federal funds

[Attero Dominatus]

Uproar over anti-Marine policyA move to strip Berkeley institutions of federal funds is going forward in Congress in retaliation for last week's City Council vote telling the U.S. Marines their recruiting station is not welcome in the city.

Six Republican senators and an Orange County representative are introducing companion bills called the Semper Fi Act of 2008 that takes away $2 million, including funds from UC Berkeley and a local foundation that provides lunches to the Berkeley Unified School District.

The Senate bill was introduced today by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Sen. David Vitter, R-La. Rep. John Campbell, R-Newport Beach., in introducing a companion bill in the House.

The bills seek to take away $243,000 from the Chez Panisse Foundation, which provides school lunches for Berkeley public schools, and $975,000 from UC Berkeley's Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service to create an endowment and catalogue of papers of Rep. Robert Matsui, a press release from DeMint's Washington office said.

A spokesperson for DeMint said today the bills would also seek to remove other earmarks, including nearly $1 million for a new ferry service and funds for public safety.

"Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences," DeMint said in the release. "Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town."

Two Berkeley City Council members this week said they would ask the council on Tuesday to rescind the item declaring the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

More: http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8186256

[jtyangel]

Good for them. They cities of funding for roads over trivial crap and this is not a trivial matter. Berkley should expect consequences like this and more. I would never defend their sorry asses either. I don't care if they have riots that tear down that piddly piece of property--let them defend their ungrateful selves.