Just in time for National Police Memorial Week, Obama announces he wants to cut Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits Program from $110 million to $60 million. Budget documents say the reduction is being made because "claims are anticipated to decrease," apparently because the number of officers killed in the line of duty has been decreasing.
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, killings of police officers are up 21 percent so far in 2009, compared to the same period the year before.
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3 comments:
That is an "Obama-nation!!!"
You should note that benefits per slain officer are NOT being cut--just the proposed/actuarial budget for the over-all program because of a decrease (thankful) in the number of officers being killed.
NO ONE will lose benefits.
"Any family member who is eligible for benefits under this program will receive them," said Justice Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz.
Quoted in: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-obama-slain-police,1,5453637.story
The benefits for officers are mandatory, so they will be paid no matter what. This is just some grandstanding to make it appear as if they're cutting some portion of the budget, when really the only thing that determines the "budget" for the program is the number of officers killed.
Last year, the program went over budget. Likely it will again. It's all a numbers game to make the administration look as if they are cutting spending.
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