People will die without weather satellites

This is what a leader looks like. US Congressman Peter DeFazio says "people will die" if we cut funding for things like weather satellites, disaster preparedness, etc., all of which are budget cuts proposed by the Republicans in the US.

He should know. In his district (where I used to live), the recent tsunami devastated a harbor and swept people out to sea.



From Climate Progress, quoting Think Progress:

DeFazio represents Oregon’s 4th district, where the tsunami devastated a local harbor and swept more than four people out to sea. DeFazio told ThinkProgress that furloughs at NOAA and other cuts to “our defense” against natural disasters were “crazy stuff” that would weaken the federal government’s already outdated disaster response system:”If you cut on detection of tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, severe weather events, weather buoys, satellite observation and weather patterns, those sorts of things, people will die. People will die from tornadoes in the Northwest, hurricanes or volcanic eruption or earthquakes. They are also cutting on preparedness funds that go down to the local organization down to the cities and counties, down to the first responders who need equipment.”

I'm proud to say this man was my representative the first time I voted, and he's still there plugging away doing good. Go Peter DeFazio!

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