EDITORIAL INTENTIONAL FAILURE ONCE AGAIN, LAWMAKERS PLAY POLITICS WITH HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING.LIKE so many good intentions in Washington, D.C., the plan to allocate homeland security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States funds based on risk fell by the wayside when politics got in the way. In the four years since President George W. Bush created the Department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States and dedicated billions of federal dollars to help the country prepare for and avoid another terrorist attack, the money still gets distributed like so much pork. Terrorist target-rich states such as California and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of got short shrift short shrift n. 1. Summary, careless treatment; scant attention: These annoying memos will get short shrift from the boss. 2. Quick work. 3. a. in the first years as lawmakers doled out Adj. 1. doled out - given out in portions apportioned, dealt out, meted out, parceled out distributed - spread out or scattered about or divided up terror funds like they do all other federal money. Problem is, that pork-barrel method of funding that allocated more to the states with senior or more powerful politicians never made good sense. But now that formula is downright dangerous to the country. After repeated pleas for change from state officials and after the 9-ll Commission slammed politicians for playing politics with security funds, lawmakers in Washington finally agreed to change. For starters, they said, they would hand out the $31.9 billion homeland security bill passed this fall on risk assessment. The Daily News was skeptical of the promise then, and it turns out rightly so. As the Patriot Act Patriot Act: see USA PATRIOT Act. comes up for a reauthorization vote this month, it will use the same inequitable formula to distribute $2.9 billion in grants to police, firefighters and first responders. That means states such as Maine and Wyoming with few targets reap disproportionately more than places where terrorists have actually hit before or have planned attacks, such as Los Angeles. For instance, in 2005, Los Angeles County received $92 million in federal grants to be shared by all the county's law enforcement agents. That's just not enough, given the size of the region and the number of potential terror targets spread throughout it. Until politicians stop making empty promises and start putting aside their petty grabs for federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve , the billions the country sinks into homeland security will be of considerably less value. It's time they had more than good intentions in Washington, but also some good outcomes. |
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