« Even Jimmy Carter is entitled to free speech | WMD in an enemy's hand near the USA »
September 17, 2005

The truth on homeland security funding

By

Now that GW is well into his second term, The Washington Post (aka The Ministry of Truth) finally comes clean to inform us that there is no homeland security (HLS) funding shortfall as charged by the Kerry campaign last year.

Last June, readers of AT were told of John Kerry's campaign visits to virtually all branches of the first responder community where he complained about the President's so—called lack of support for critical HLS procurement programs.  Depending upon his particular union audience for that day, Kerry would bash the President on failure to either:

a) Secure the nation's chemical plants
b) Help prevent a radiological dispersion device (dirty bomb) attack
c) Prepare and equip our medical professionals to respond to a bio—terror attack

or

d) All of the above.

Naturally, the major press, including the WaPo, dutifully repeated Kerry's fear—mongering rants without the slightest bit of critical analysis.  Ten months ago, I quoted a Congressional Report published in the Des Moines Register which showed that cities and states have spent billions of dollars,

...without any real assessment of risk or need, and some police and fire departments have used the grants to purchase equipment of "only marginal utility" in the fight against terrorism.

Now, the WaPo's Spencer S. Hsu and Sarah Cohen have seen fit to note that,

The area's record in using federal dollars illustrates a major flaw in a homeland security grant funding system that doles out cash first and requires plans later, said Rep. Christopher Cox (R—Calif.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.  Cox is proposing legislation that would award more money to certain jurisdictions based on threat assessments and require states and regions to coordinate plans before applying for aid. [emphasis mine]

In other words, now that Kerry's run for the presidency is safely behind us, the legacy media can now tell the truth about the bottleneck in HLS procurement spending plans.  Keep this and the other myriad examples of their malfeasance in mind when the next political campaign rolls around.

Doug Hanson     04—10—05