Homeland Security Grants Miss Needs

News and Opinion for Democrats Against Bush -- Part II

Homeland Security Grants Miss Needs

"Wyoming, the least populous state in the union, has so far received $35.67 in security funding for each of its 493,782 residents. Georgia, home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a nuclear submarine base at St. Mary's, one of the largest seaports on the east coast at Savannah and Fort MacPherson -- often called Pentagon South -- has received a whopping $6.54 per resident."

--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

OUR VIEW

Homeland security grants miss needs

The complete article is currently (4/3/04) available on the Journal-Constitution's website at-- http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/1103/09homeland.html [found through a Google search by article title on the date above]

Excerpt--

Given the importance of its task, the Department of Homeland Security ought to be insulated to a degree from the political demands placed on other government bureaucracies. Sadly, it is not.

For example, instead of focusing funds for "first responders" on cities and states most likely to be targets of terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security reserves 40 percent of the money to be allocated in equal parcels to each state, regardless of population. The rest is divided up based on population, regardless of threat level. ...

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/1103/09homeland.html

New York Times September 18, 2003

Counterterror Aid Is Tied Up by the States, Mayors Assert

By PHILIP SHENON

The complete article may be purchased online from the New York Times archives at-- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E11FA3E5E0C7B8DDDA00894DB404482

Summary provided by the New York Times--

NATIONAL DESK | September 18, 2003, Thursday
Counterterror Aid Is Tied Up by the States, Mayors Assert

By PHILIP SHENON (NYT) 624 words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 25 , Column 1

ABSTRACT - Mayors from some of nation's largest cities claim safety of their people is being endangered because cities have not received their share of billions of dollars in federal counterrorism aid promised by Washington after 9/11 attacks; United States Conference of Mayors releases survey showing 90 percent of cities have not received any part of $1.5 billion federal fund to help local emergency workers prepare for attack; bipartisan frustration of mayors is directed mainly at state goverments, where, they say, much of estimated $4 billion in counterterrorism aid dispatched by Washington this year has been bottled up; spokeswoman for National Governors Assn rejects that suggestion and defends decision made by Congress and Bush administration to distribute federal money through state governments, even though it is cities that may face special threat of terrorist attack (M)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/national/18MAYO.html

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