IN 1976, PAUL SIMON’S SONG “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” was number one on the pop charts. I wish he’d write an update, “50 Ways to Leave Iraq.” One of the thousand negatives about this war showed itself last month in, of all places, Kansas, following a devastating tornado. Much of the National Guard normally used for rescue and cleanup weren’t available because they weren’t there! In California, with fires still raging at Lake Tahoe, we’re no exception.
Even before the Tahoe blaze, Forestry officials predicted an extremely harsh fire season this summer. But California National Guard says equipment shortages could hinder the guard’s response. A dearth of equipment such as trucks and radios — caused in large part by the war in Iraq — has officials worried in the event of a major fire, earthquake or terrorist attack. I suppose, other than that, we’re in great shape.
Forty percent of all U.S. troops in Iraq are reservists, which begs the question: When have we ever fought a war with such a high-percentage? Answer: Never. When have we ever fought a war while lowering taxes? Answer: Never. When have we had deficits this large, or been so hated around the world? When has the gap between rich and poor been so great? The answer is always the same: Never. That is, until George Bush. “W” still proclaims defiantly he’s not budging. I believe the medical term for Bush’s condition is “cuckoo.”
To anyone in Santa Monica who experienced the Northridge earthquake of 1994, a depleted National Guard is not a comforting thought. The irony is if a major quake were to hit here, we might be toast, but if it hits in Tikrit, they’d be fine. I have nightmares of climbing out from under quake debris and hearing Bush, “You did a heckuva job, Jackie.” It follows if there’s a lack of available emergency resources some might die here because of Bush’s pet war over there. That’s not crying wolf, it’s crying Katrina.
In California, half the equipment the National Guard needs is not in the state. It’s deployed in Iraq or other parts of the world, this according to Lt. Col. John Siepmann. “While the Guard is in decent shape to handle small-scale incidents, our concern is a catastrophic event, where you would see a less effective response,” he added. How not reassuring.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has acknowledged the National Guard’s equipment woes and also attributed them to the war. “A lot of equipment has gone to Iraq, and it doesn’t come back when the troops come back,” Schwarzenegger said at a Sacramento news conference. “So how do we get this equipment back as quickly as possible?” Good question, Governator, now take the cigar out of your mouth and figure out an answer.
The California Guard is missing $1 billion worth of equipment. Guidelines suggest they should have 39 diesel generators and 1,410 of a certain type of Global Positioning Satellite device, but has none. Ouch. Some of the missing equipment includes: 209 vehicles, including 110 humvees and 63 military trucks. Forget the surge in Iraq, we need a surge here!
Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) is concerned, which makes two of us. “The overuse of the National Guard overseas could lead to a situation in California similar to the one in Kansas,” said Nava, chairman of emergency services and homeland security. “These are policies that are putting California residents in jeopardy.” On the bright side, Haliburton continues to do very well.
I contacted our Assemblywoman, Julia Brownley. “This demands serious attention by the governor, the Legislature and our California delegation in Washington, D.C.,” she said, “withdrawal from Iraq and attention to our domestic agenda is the solution.” Makes sense to me.
As Paul Simon might say, “Just slip out of Iraq, Jack, and set ourselves free.”
This summer, Assemblyman Nava will be holding hearings on our National Guard readiness. Maybe next time before the Bush-Cheney’s of the world deceive us into invading another sovereign country hopefully someone might take a moment or two to consider the deleterious effects at home.
Speaking of home, the L.A. Fire Department suggests area residents have emergency supplies for 72 hours, including: Bottled water, non-perishable food, can opener, radio, flashlight, first aid kit, gloves, shoes, socks and cash (small denomination.) As for the quake coming after the war is over, I suppose all we can do is keep our fingers crossed. Actually, that might explain the typos.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 29, 2007. Read the original PDF.