The President's Promises on Homeland Security are Long on Talk, Short on Money
The Bush Administration apparently is willing to shortchange the police, firefighters and emergency personnel who would be the first to arrive on the scene of a terrorist attack on American soil.
An independent task force headed by former Republican Senator Warren Rudman concluded that the $4.2 billion appropriation signed by the President on Wednesday may be "only one-third of what is required to adequately provide for America's emergency responders."
After September 11th the President promised to take "every possible measure" to guarantee the security of the homeland, but now Bush's Homeland Security officials are mocking the concerns of the Rudman task force. "I think the [task force] would like to install gold-plated telephones," said one official.
At the same time the Bush Administration wants to spend $6,000 apiece for 600 overpriced hand-held radios and satellite phones in Iraq.
Homeland Security is turning into just another government program, and everyone involved, including President Bush, has forgotten the reason for it's existence. Tom Ridge has become just another bureaucrat and the safety and security of our country has become just another line item in the budget. What is it about 2000+ people dying on American soil that the Bush Administration has lost sight of?
