Homeland Security vs. homeland pork

[ECUHITMAN]

Link

Does the Department of Homeland Security know something about terrorist threats to Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Louisville, Ky., and Memphis that average citizens don?t? Or are our federal tax dollars being spent to make the world a safer place for wet T-shirt contests for spring breakers, horse racing fans and Elvis devotees?

Yep, the figures are now in and Homeland Security grants are up for those three potential hotbeds of terrorism, by as much as 41 percent in the case of Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile New York City?s grants are down by 40 percent and grants to the Boston area are off 30 percent from last year.

Of course, before we bemoan this as a catastrophe waiting to happen, let?s also acknowledge the obvious waste in the program - that little fleet of watercraft being acquired by the otherwise landlocked sheriff of Middlesex County comes immediately to mind.

And New York City was also in the habit of using large amounts of its grant money to fund police overtime, a recurring expense that Homeland Security officials already warned they would not look upon with favor.

Still, it?s surely no coincidence that Memphis (which got $4 million) is in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Louisville ($9 million) is home to Rep. Hal Rogers, chair of the subcommittee on Homeland Security appropriations.

Homeland Security officials insist Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are up for substantial increases because they are tourist destinations. Memphis made the list because of the cargo passing through it. But Omaha (up 38 percent)?

Sad to say, Homeland Security grants have become just another kind of pork in too many places (and, yes, that includes some in our own back yard). But who knew the department itself would get so good at playing that game too?

If cities are misusing the money I could see withholding the money until they change their behavior but to increase funding in places that are not likely terrorists targets (i.e. Omaha) does not make a lot of sense.

 

[Darkhawk28]

Originally posted by: ECUHITMAN
Link

Does the Department of Homeland Security know something about terrorist threats to Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Louisville, Ky., and Memphis that average citizens don?t? Or are our federal tax dollars being spent to make the world a safer place for wet T-shirt contests for spring breakers, horse racing fans and Elvis devotees?

Yep, the figures are now in and Homeland Security grants are up for those three potential hotbeds of terrorism, by as much as 41 percent in the case of Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile New York City?s grants are down by 40 percent and grants to the Boston area are off 30 percent from last year.

Of course, before we bemoan this as a catastrophe waiting to happen, let?s also acknowledge the obvious waste in the program - that little fleet of watercraft being acquired by the otherwise landlocked sheriff of Middlesex County comes immediately to mind.

And New York City was also in the habit of using large amounts of its grant money to fund police overtime, a recurring expense that Homeland Security officials already warned they would not look upon with favor.

Still, it?s surely no coincidence that Memphis (which got $4 million) is in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Louisville ($9 million) is home to Rep. Hal Rogers, chair of the subcommittee on Homeland Security appropriations.

Homeland Security officials insist Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are up for substantial increases because they are tourist destinations. Memphis made the list because of the cargo passing through it. But Omaha (up 38 percent)?

Sad to say, Homeland Security grants have become just another kind of pork in too many places (and, yes, that includes some in our own back yard). But who knew the department itself would get so good at playing that game too?

If cities are misusing the money I could see withholding the money until they change their behavior but to increase funding in places that are not likely terrorists targets (i.e. Omaha) does not make a lot of sense.

Homeland Security is just a pork project.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

HLS had the audacity to state that NYC doesn't have any landmarks! :thumbsdown:

 

[catnap1972]

Originally posted by: ECUHITMAN
Link

Does the Department of Homeland Security know something about terrorist threats to Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Louisville, Ky., and Memphis that average citizens don?t? Or are our federal tax dollars being spent to make the world a safer place for wet T-shirt contests for spring breakers, horse racing fans and Elvis devotees?

Yep, the figures are now in and Homeland Security grants are up for those three potential hotbeds of terrorism, by as much as 41 percent in the case of Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile New York City?s grants are down by 40 percent and grants to the Boston area are off 30 percent from last year.

Of course, before we bemoan this as a catastrophe waiting to happen, let?s also acknowledge the obvious waste in the program - that little fleet of watercraft being acquired by the otherwise landlocked sheriff of Middlesex County comes immediately to mind.

And New York City was also in the habit of using large amounts of its grant money to fund police overtime, a recurring expense that Homeland Security officials already warned they would not look upon with favor.

Still, it?s surely no coincidence that Memphis (which got $4 million) is in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Louisville ($9 million) is home to Rep. Hal Rogers, chair of the subcommittee on Homeland Security appropriations.

Homeland Security officials insist Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are up for substantial increases because they are tourist destinations. Memphis made the list because of the cargo passing through it. But Omaha (up 38 percent)?

Sad to say, Homeland Security grants have become just another kind of pork in too many places (and, yes, that includes some in our own back yard). But who knew the department itself would get so good at playing that game too?

If cities are misusing the money I could see withholding the money until they change their behavior but to increase funding in places that are not likely terrorists targets (i.e. Omaha) does not make a lot of sense.

Makes perfect sense to me--states that support Bush/GOP get funds while the ones that don't (up in the northeast) are told to "Go F*** yourselves"

It's as clear as day

 

[ECUHITMAN]

No way. This admin would never do that! NEVER!

 

[Looney]

WTF is wrong with this administration? Pakistani immigrant convicted of NY subway plot

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Darkhawk28

Originally posted by: ECUHITMAN
Link

Does the Department of Homeland Security know something about terrorist threats to Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Louisville, Ky., and Memphis that average citizens don?t? Or are our federal tax dollars being spent to make the world a safer place for wet T-shirt contests for spring breakers, horse racing fans and Elvis devotees?

Yep, the figures are now in and Homeland Security grants are up for those three potential hotbeds of terrorism, by as much as 41 percent in the case of Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile New York City?s grants are down by 40 percent and grants to the Boston area are off 30 percent from last year.

Of course, before we bemoan this as a catastrophe waiting to happen, let?s also acknowledge the obvious waste in the program - that little fleet of watercraft being acquired by the otherwise landlocked sheriff of Middlesex County comes immediately to mind.

And New York City was also in the habit of using large amounts of its grant money to fund police overtime, a recurring expense that Homeland Security officials already warned they would not look upon with favor.

Still, it?s surely no coincidence that Memphis (which got $4 million) is in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Louisville ($9 million) is home to Rep. Hal Rogers, chair of the subcommittee on Homeland Security appropriations.

Homeland Security officials insist Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are up for substantial increases because they are tourist destinations. Memphis made the list because of the cargo passing through it. But Omaha (up 38 percent)?

Sad to say, Homeland Security grants have become just another kind of pork in too many places (and, yes, that includes some in our own back yard). But who knew the department itself would get so good at playing that game too?

If cities are misusing the money I could see withholding the money until they change their behavior but to increase funding in places that are not likely terrorists targets (i.e. Omaha) does not make a lot of sense.

Homeland Security is just a pork project.

If that's the case, then do an audit and get some accountability. Don't just shift the funds to other states so they're given a chance to misuse it.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: ECUHITMAN
If cities are misusing the money I could see withholding the money until they change their behavior but to increase funding in places that are not likely terrorists targets (i.e. Omaha) does not make a lot of sense.

I agree that a lot of this money is wasted. But when the spending came around, it was designated that a small portion of it goes to all states. Thus, those odd cities do get funding too.

However, if I were a terrorist (I'm not of course) I personally would think of Omaha as the BEST possible target.
[*]Strike America at its heart, so no one feels safe anywhere. As it is, those of us in the midwest feel 100% safe from terrorists. (I live a 40 minute drive from Omaha).
[*]Omaha has the operation headquarters for almost all our transportation modes. We'd be in a horrible mess. No transportation = very poor response to the terrorists.

 

[Aisengard]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
HLS had the audacity to state that NYC doesn't have any landmarks! :thumbsdown:

Yeah, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge are "icons".

And besides, NYC 'only' has 4 major financial institutions. Wall Street? Fuggedaboudit!

Meanwhile, middle America gets its "you're still relevant, really!" note from the Government.

 

[fitzov]

I thought from the very beginning that DHS was a boondoggle--we already had organizations that were supposed to do the job (e.g. CIA, FBI, DEA, ATF, etc)

 

[MadRat]

Yep, Omaha, just because it has the rail road management computers, an fbi branch office, a federal reserve bank, and countless other centers for federal agencies. Nope, Omaha doesn't need the money at all.