Understanding the Homeland Security state / local government funding that's getting cut

[Reno.Muse]

First, be sure to go here and find out what programs HS grant funds have been spent on in your state:

http://www.dhs.gov/xgovt/grants/

Problems have come up with this funding in many states and have been caught in audits. Waste, no paper trails, no oversight, sometimes funds weren't even expended ...

Here's one from Arizona:

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/149412.php

Here's a story about waste related to these grants for port security:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/20/politics/20secure.html

Here's a story from 2004 about improper handling of funds which didn't get to first responders in a timely fashion or at all:

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0404/040904c1.htm

I can tell you that in Nevada, the state staff who handles these grants to Las Vegas and other cities and counties, rarely audits to assure purchases have been made according to proposals, etc. Because the director wants to kiss the arses of the cities and counties, he allows no money from the grants to be kept back for administration or audits and waste occurs. This program has been a joke from the beginning.

[JDPriestly]

1. The Homeland Security apparatus is a full employment scheme.

Republicans faced a terrible recession shortly after taking office in 2001. For ideological reasons, they could not sponsor huge public works projects -- the traditional and effective Keynesian cure for a really bad recession. So, they started funding Homeland Security and War -- all on borrowed money. A not so subtle variation on Keynesian economics. Where the money went wasn't the question, so long as it kept money flowing. Now that Bush's term is coming to an end and it looks like a Democrat might get elected, the money is to be withdrawn. So, we can see a trend emerging: through manipulation of the economy, newly elected first-term presidents will get a little surprise, a recession just to test their mettle and keep them in their places. And who loses out -- the American people.