Even though I live on the opposite coast, concern for my many online friends in the east has impelled me to keep a close eye on Irene. I could not have done so with any depth of understanding without the excellent information provided by the National Weather Service. Of course, that information is far more critical to those in the path of the storm. Since the service they provide is so valuable, it should come as no surprise that Republican Ministry of Propaganda, aka Fox, proposes doing away with the agency.

Say that louder because the hurricane winds are making a lot of noise. Fox News, of course [Faux Noise delinked]. While Americans ought to prepare for the coming storm, federal dollars need not subsidize their preparations. Although it might sound outrageous, the truth is that the National Hurricane Center and its parent agency, the National Weather Service, are relics from America’s past that have actually outlived their usefulness. The National Weather Service (NWS) was founded in 1870. Originally, the NWS was not a public information agency. It was a national security agency and placed under the Department of War. The Service’s national security function has long since disappeared, but as agencies often do, however, it stuck around and managed to increase its budget. … [emphasis added]

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