March 4, 2004
 

NEW BUSH ADS USE OF FIRE FIGHTER IMAGES SMACK OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM

As Bush Trades on Heroism of Fire Fighters, His Homeland Security Funding Cuts Hurt Fire Fighters and Communities

WASHINGTON, DC – The General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO (IAFF), Harold Schaitberger, issued the following statement today after President Bush unveiled new political ads that use images of fire fighters in September 11, 2001 attacks for political gain.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised that the President would try to trade on the heroism of those fire fighters in the September 11 attacks. The use of 9/11 images are hypocrisy at its worst. Here’s a President that initially opposed the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and now uses its first anniversary as cause to promote his re-election. Here is a President that proposed two budgets with no funding for FIRE Act grants and still plays on the image of America’s bravest. His advertisements are disgraceful.

“Bush is calling on the biggest disaster in our country’s history, and indeed in the history of the fire service, to win sympathy for his campaign. Since the attacks, Bush has been using images of himself putting his arm around a retired FDNY fire fighter on the pile of rubble at ground zero. But for two and a half years he has basically shortchanged fire fighters and the safety of our homeland by not providing fire fighters the resources needed to do the job that America deserves.

“The fact is Bush’s actions have resulted in fire stations closing in communities around the country. Two-thirds of America’s fire departments remain under-staffed because Bush is failing to enforce a new law that was passed with bipartisan support in Congress that would put more fire fighters in our communities. President Bush’s budget proposes to cut Homeland Security Department funding for first responders by $700 million for next year and cuts funding for the FIRE Act, a grant program that helps fire departments fund equipment needs, 33% by $250 million. In addition, state and local programs for homeland security purposes were reduced $200 million.

“We’re going to be aggressive and vocal in our efforts to ensure that the citizens of this country know about Bush’s poor record on protecting their safety and providing for the needs of the people who are supposed to respond in an emergency.”
 

About the International Association of Fire Fighters

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the 16th largest union among the 64 national unions that makeup the AFL-CIO. The IAFF represents more than 263,000 full-time professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More than 2,900 affiliates and their members protect nearly 6,000 communities in every state in the Unites States and every province in Canada.

Also, the IAFF Executive Board passed this resolution on Thursday, March 04, 2004.

Resolution Calling Upon the Bush Campaign To Pull Political Advertisements Utilizing Images of Ground Zero and Fallen Fire Fighters

Whereas, President Bush is airing advertisements in which the images of Ground Zero and Fallen Fire Fighters are utilized to promote his image as being strong on Homeland Security by trading on the heroism of those 343 FDNY members who fell during the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and

Whereas, President Bush is calling on the biggest disaster in our country’s history, and, indeed, in the history of the fire service to win sympathy for his campaign from patriotic Americans, and

Whereas, the President’s record on Fire Fighter and First Responder issues is one of failure and neglect---including: opposing the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, cutting $700 million in first responder funding from his FY 05 Budget, reducing appropriations to FIRE Act grants by $250 million, and refusing to fund the Bi-Partisan SAFER Act that would put 75,000 desperately needed new Fire Fighters on the streets of our Hometowns, therefore

Be it resolved that the IAFF Executive Board calls upon the Bush campaign to discontinue the current advertisements using the image of fallen fire fighters and Ground Zero, or any similar ads during the course of the campaign, and

Be it further resolved that President Bush apologize to the families of fire fighters killed on 9/11 for demeaning the memory of their loved ones in an attempt to curry support for his re-election.