Homeland Security Funding is all out of whack!

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040329/nhomeland.html

A portion:

"Since the Sept. 11 attacks, about $13.1 billion has surged into state coffers from the Federal Government?sorely needed money that has gone for police, fire and emergency services to help finance equipment and training to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks.

That is a 990% increase over the $1.2 billion spent by the Federal Government for similar programs in the preceding three years. But the vast majority of the $13.1 billion was distributed with no regard for the threats, vulnerabilities and potential consequences faced by each region. Of the top 10 states and districts receiving the most money per capita last year, only the District of Columbia also appeared on a list of the top 10 most at-risk places, as calculated by AIR for TIME. In fact, funding appears to be almost inversely proportional to risk. If all the federal homeland-security grants from last year are added together, Wyoming received $61 a person while California got just $14, according to data gathered at TIME's request by the Public Policy Institute of California, an independent, nonprofit research organization. Alaska received an impressive $58 a resident, while New York got less than $25. On and on goes the upside-down math of the new homeland-security funding. "
 

sMiLeYz

Platinum Member
Feb 3, 2003
2,696
0
76
Great! More funding for America's version of the secret police.... to protect us from terrorism! Where have I heard that excuse before, hmmm yes Germany in 1938!
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,862
6,396
126
Originally posted by: conjur
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040329/nhomeland.html

A portion:

"Since the Sept. 11 attacks, about $13.1 billion has surged into state coffers from the Federal Government?sorely needed money that has gone for police, fire and emergency services to help finance equipment and training to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks.

That is a 990% increase over the $1.2 billion spent by the Federal Government for similar programs in the preceding three years. But the vast majority of the $13.1 billion was distributed with no regard for the threats, vulnerabilities and potential consequences faced by each region. Of the top 10 states and districts receiving the most money per capita last year, only the District of Columbia also appeared on a list of the top 10 most at-risk places, as calculated by AIR for TIME. In fact, funding appears to be almost inversely proportional to risk. If all the federal homeland-security grants from last year are added together, Wyoming received $61 a person while California got just $14, according to data gathered at TIME's request by the Public Policy Institute of California, an independent, nonprofit research organization. Alaska received an impressive $58 a resident, while New York got less than $25. On and on goes the upside-down math of the new homeland-security funding. "

To be fair $/per capita isn't entirely a meaningful way to assess appropriate spending. Wyoming has approx 500,000 residents while California has approx 34.5million.