Obama Cuts Survivor Benefits for Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
ByPresident Barack Hussein Obama has been on a spending spree since taking office in January. However, in a stage act to show he is fiscally responsible, he is cutting the survivor benefits for law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
The Associated Press is reporting that Obama is nearly cutting in half the amount of funding for the Public Safety Officers’ Death Benefits Program, from $110 million to only $60 million. His reasoning? He administration says “claims are anticipated to decrease.”
Well, crime is on the rise, cops are being laid off and terrorism is a real and growing threat. In fact, the number of police deaths is up 21% for the same period of time from last year, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. I guess when you are surrounded by hundreds of armed federal agents, being killed at work seems like a pretty distant thing. However, for those of us out here on the street, this is a real slap in the face.
The Obama administration spent BILLIONS in the recent “stimulus” package, but wants to cut $50 million from the families of dead cops for political posturing. What’s more important that the widows and orphans of police officers? Try these:
- $100 million for the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program
- $200 million to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program
- $900 million for the IRS for the “Limitation on Administrative Expenses”
- $600 million to pay for a fuel-efficient federal auto fleet
- $650 million for the Digital Converter Box Program to help the constantly delayed transition from analog television
- Up to $1 billion for “summer activities” for youths as old as 24
- $40 million for the occupational research agenda
- $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstrations
I don’t care what your politics are, this is a slimy political move…and a week before we remember those who have fallen during National Police Week.
12 Comments
May 7th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Thanks for sharing this … may I have permission to post this article within a Facebook note (with a link to your site) so that I can share with others?
May 7th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Absolutely. You may post it, and I definitely appreciate the link.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I will have to calm down before I write my own article, and will link to your site.
I am outraged to say the least.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:00 am
That money is automatically paid to families, whether it is budgeted or not. Since the number of police officers killed in the line of duty has decreased significantly the last few years, the budgeted amount has been cut to reflect reality.
It is shameful that you are using slain officers to score political points.
May 8th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Jamie,
The numbers of law enforcement officers killed in the last few years:
2009 YTD: 46
2008: 134
2007: 189
2006: 153
2005: 164
2004: 164
2003: 147
2002: 159
Law enforcement deaths have not “decreased significantly” in the last few years. Rather when compared to the previous year, they have been down, up, down, up, etc. 2008 was the lowest this decade (thank God!), but was nowhere near HALF of the highest point of the decade (which is the percentage President Obama wants to cut).
In fact, it was only a 15.7% decrease from the average of 159 for the past seven years.
So the budget has not been cut “to reflect reality” as you suggest.
Oh, one last thing. I’m not sure what political points you think I am scoring, as I am a paid employee of the citizens of my city, not a politician or a party hack. You want to know why I think the President’s cutting of this program is slimy and disgusting, come crawl into a patrol car with me, do our job for a few months, and then you can visit the widows and orphans of slain officers and tell them all about your political “reality.”
May 9th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Obama is a scumbag. Plain and simple.
May 11th, 2009 at 1:47 am
What is unbelievable is the fact that there are people out there that believe Police Officers are expendable property (not even human). You here things like, You chose that job. You knew the risks. This maybe true, but we didn’t chose to live a short life and cheat our loved ones out of a parent or spouse. With the cuts that Obama is making to the survivors only tells me that he is anti police. And with him being the Cheif Executive Officer, that should scare everyone. I’m afraid that this is only the tip of the iceburg. 1 dead cop is too many.
May 14th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Jamie,
Get ready for more slain police officers with the Cartels declaring war on the police officers and border patrol. I pray that it doesn’t happen, but my fear is that it will. Thank you Obama. This group of fine individuals who are willing to lay down there lives for you Jamie. They don’t ask for anything in return. Why not take care of their wifes, husbands, and children left behind. Dirt bag politicians.
May 17th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Jamie,
Are you kidding me? I’m a cop and I have a wife and 2 kids. In the event that someone decides to end my tour early, I would hope that my wife, during a difficult time of loss, could at least get the benefits she would need to cover the loss of my salary.
The sad thing about people like you is this. An officer could die protecting the likes of you, or people like you, and a short time later, you would forget that officer and their family. Their family would not be able to forget their loved one and they will most likely not forget you either.
Thanks for your support,
An officer that would die for you
June 19th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Thanks for the info! As the wife of a law enforcement officer this is scary. Seriously, when you look at cutting back WHY in the world would you want to cut back ANYTHING for law enforcement officer or their families? What people don’t realize is just how much law enforcement families pay…each and every member of the family! Trust me when I say that my husband and other men & woman in this line of work done wear the badge to make millions. Most of us live pay check to pay check picking up off duties to have extra spending money.
Its sad but true that the public sees officers as expendable, its sickening! Come on Obama back law enforcement, back officer’s families!
-God bless all who wear & back the badge!-
June 21st, 2009 at 7:03 pm
All I can say is wow, very disturbing.
It’s very difficult for civilians to understand how law inforcment and military personel’s jobs are a family effort and that our families take care of each other more than the government we work for.
Lcpl Greene
USMC-Active
August 31st, 2009 at 5:39 am
I wonder who gave him that idea, like common, what, does he look into a crystal ball and then come up with these things?