First the government changed Smokey the Bear to Smokey Bear, giving up the traditional "the." Now Republicans like Rep. Eric Cantor wants to put Smokey in the center of their scorched earth policy:
Washington Post: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor(s) latest installment of his “YouCut” contest in which he invites the public to identify federal spending to whack in the name of budget-balancing.
The YouCut proposal targets the Forest Service’s “environmental literacy” and “conservation education” programs, saying that it’s wrong for taxpayer dollars to go to “generate issue-oriented advocacy” … giving the axe to none other than the beloved icons Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Yes, that’s Smokey of “only you can prevent forest fires” fame and Woodsy, who charmingly warns schoolchildren to “give a hoot, don’t pollute.”
Anything to save a teensy bit-o- money:
Nixing those programs would save $50 million over 10 years, the Web site says.
Forget the learning program put together by the Forest Service years ago, a program that helped filled day and overnight camps like nothing else:
A Forest Service spokesman defended the value of the programs, saying they “introduce some 25 million American children every year to the wonders of nature, helping create interest in their environment and instilling a lifelong relationship with it.”Just for fun, here's the original Smokey the Bear recording by the Sandpipers:
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