by Jack Lee
It has taken the worst recession in our nation’s history to draw serious attention to how extravagantly Congress wastes our taxpayer’s money. Imagine, 10 years after 9/11, Federal and State governments are spending about $75 billion per year under the pretext “domestic security” and the cost is rising.
There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t hear about some stupid expenditure in the name of domestic security. This has not only caused frustration, but downright anger among informed voters. It might be somewhat tolerable, if the money could be even remotely shown to impede hit and run terrorist tactics, but that rarely happens. Instead, Homeland Security has become an ATM machine for all sorts of dumb projects that are totally off the rails, like buying armored personnel carriers for several hundred police departments, including one for little Chico, California, hardly a hotbed of terrorist activity.
But, those expenditures pale compared to some of the other expenditures, like silk flowers for special events, reward money for missing children, improved county fair lighting, new cars for bureaucrats, etc. Can you believe, Homeland (us) paid for state-of-the-art dive gear, including full-face masks, underwater lights, waterproof radios, and even a Zodiac boat with expensive side-scan sonar capable of mapping wide areas of the lake floor…for, now get this, for the Lake McConaughy reservoir in Ogallala, Nebraska? The locals envisioned a scenario where a terrorist sleeper cell might attack their dam and Homeland bought it, literally. This is just one of thousands of possible terrorist scenarios dreamt up from communities in order to cash in on the Homeland giveaway program.
We’ll go broke long before we can lock every possible door that a terrorist might use – it’s a game plan that only the most die-hard bureaucrats could rationalize. But, do they really believe their own rhetoric about keeping you safe? Nah, I don’t believe that for a second – do you? What they’re really doing when they spend big sums on the local population for (alleged) security is this: They’re are trying to placate those people they think are scared and stupid…which would be the bulk of their constituents. Which is opposite of the truth.
Most Americans would gladly do away with 90% of the costly and intrusive security measures now in place, if only for the sake of living free and keeping our economy moving along strong, unaffected by the threat of terrorism or unaffected even in the event of an actual terrorist event. Most of the damage caused from 9/11 was done by ourselves, not terrorists. Government overreacted and blundered their way into trillions of expenses, allegedly for us. We didn’t need it and we didn’t want it. The American people are tough, much tougher than Congress gives us credit for!
Reality check: As of right now, the number of Western casualties from Islamic terrorist attacks, outside war zones, is akin to the number of lives lost in bathtub drownings or playground accidents. (Check out a $202,000 Bearcat armored vehicle on right)
The experts at Homeland Security know this, Congress knows this, the President knows this and the State and local Governments know this, yet it doesn’t stop the billions of tax dollars flowing into black holes concealed behind the title of “security”. Some security – it’s killing us!
This has been a bonanza for some government agencies where the tax revenues has downsized their budgets. They’ve bought expensive items they wanted, but didn’t need and couldn’t have otherwise justified even during the good economy, if it were not for 9/11.
Up on the lonely prairie, Cherry County, population 6,148, got thousands of federal dollars for cattle nose leads, halters and electric prods — in case terrorists decided to mount biological warfare against cows. It’s become an in-your-face insult to taxpayers who must pay for all these stupid, foolish and sometimes extremely extravagant items that are completely unjustified.
The take down of a belligerent drunk holed up in his house with a handgun now looks like a special ops raid on an Al Qeada leader. Imagine, cops in military gear, armed with machine guns, rappelling from helicopters and cordoning off whole neighborhoods with armored personnel carriers thanks to Homeland.
When you consider that almost .48 cents of every dollar they’re spending on this domestic security is put on a charge card, the insult to taxpayers becomes a grievous addition to a life threatening deficit.
The cash strapped states don’t get it, because Washington doesn’t get it. And Washington doesn’t get it because they are detached from [our] reality. They are heavily cushioned from feeling the dire effects of this long recession and instead they lead the good life. They abuse so many privileges, spending hundreds of millions as if it were their own money to blow; the bad examples are virtually endless. They live high like French Royalty, just before the “Enlightenment” period of 1740 and their day of reckoning is fast approaching.
The pathetic part here is 9/11 didn’t happen because of a lack of armored cars or diving equipment in Nebraska. It happened because of gross negligence and incompetence. The FBI failed to follow up on known Al Qeada activity in Florida, they failed to connect a tip that even the most dullard cop would have seen as a huge red flag and warning of a terrorist attack. At the airport if we had been profiling they would have been caught – airport security failed to do that and again failed to check suspicious persons for weapons. The three aircraft failed to secure their cockpit doors, something the Stewardess Union had been asking for for years. Two pilots were warned in advance and didn’t take the warning seriously, they died and the plane went down in a corn field because the passengers fought back.
We could have prevented 9/11 and done it all on our existing budget. But, you can’t legislate out incompetence and stupidity.
Jack you’re right, of course, about the waste and idiocy of Washington, state and local governmentspending. The opportunity to get money without nregard to the overall burden is a big problem. I don’t know how we will ever overcome this problem since it exists in large part because we are just not a thrift conscious society…not as our parents were. Everything has come easy for most of the population, including the “poor” who, by comparison to the WWII era poor, live quite well. (This may be the real reason people get to suffer economic disasters…wake up calls tend to teach, lol, but always the hard way!)
This is what happens when they don’t read bills–Patriot Act–before they pass them.
DAMN that democratic minority.
According to Wikipedia, sourced from congressional records, both democrats and republicans passed the Patriot Act:
According to CNN
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-26/politics/congress.patriot.act_1_lone-wolf-provision-patriot-act-provisions-wiretap?_s=PM:POLITICS
The U.S. House followed the Senate on Thursday in voting to extend three key provisions of the Patriot Act scheduled to expire at midnight, sending the measure to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.
By a 250-153 vote, the Republican-led House agreed to extend the expiring provisions of the law passed after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. They deal with roving wiretaps, the tracking of alleged “lone wolf” terrorists and the ability of law enforcement officials to obtain any records they deem relevant to an investigation after securing an order from a federal court.
CNN failed to note it was the democrat controlled Senate that passed this measure…just like they failed to report that Obama expanded provisions of the Patriot Act following his election!
Quentin is wrong…as usual.
I said it before:
“I know, I know … it doesn’t read very well at all. But you gotta remember that all this nonsense paid for American goods and employed American citizens. What entity but the government is going to pay for $2.5 billion worth of work on the nation’s highways?
But I can’t see $22.8K for six police radios. We want to employ an auditor to see if we can’t get some of that back.
It’s called human enterprise, people. And if you think corporate enterprises run any more efficiently, you is most astoundingly ignorant.”
Maybe this time you’ve got an answer?
This is the same pork-barreling that’s gone on since the Republic was founded. It’s annoying, but I’m not sure it really is entirely wasteful.
The “Bridge to Nowhere” would have employed a lot of people … we should just, you know, build bridges to somewhere. How hard is that?
Excellent post.
This abuse of taxpayer funds by the DHS is, of course, outrageous, but this is how federal bureaucracies work.
Unless politicians step up and demand that agencies stay within their mandates and provide strict over site backed up by prosecution, firing, and revocation of pensions for a job not done nothing will ever change.
Quentin Colgan again demonstrates he is a factually challenged doofus. Like we needed any more evidence.
Libby: “…if you think corporate enterprises run any more efficiently, you is most astoundingly ignorant.”
Anyone who would buy this idiotic crap has never paid attention to politics and has never run a business.
Airport security, run by the private sector, would work more efficiently and be held to a better standard. Why? Because if they didn’t they would be fired.
“The “Bridge to Nowhere” would have employed a lot of people…”
Temporarily….and if we make government the big employer who will be left to create the wealth to support it? YOU STILL DO NOT GET IT…not even in this lousy economy that with all the government infusion STILL STINKS!!!!!
We told you this would happen…remember?
Thanks Pie… I sure hope we can get a grip on some this crazy spending.
This is the same pork-barreling that’s gone on since the Republic was founded. It’s annoying, but I’m not sure it really is entirely wasteful. Libby
Pretty much agree with you.
“Anyone who would buy this idiotic crap has never paid attention to politics and has never run a business.”
Ah, but I’ve watched them be run for, lo, these 40 years, and I can unequivocally testify that the venal, greedy, inefficiencies endemic to human enterprise prevail in both the public and private sectors.
All government infrastucture projects provide temporary employment, but then you’ve got the infrastructure, which might well afford a formerly public sector employee access to his currently private sector employment.
If, and only if, the funding citizens are more forward thinking than you seem to be, Tina.
Tina: “Airport security, run by the private sector, would work more efficiently and be held to a better standard. Why? Because if they didn’t they would be fired.”
So should we also replace the City Police with a private security company? Mall cops perhaps?
Jim, we can respect your opinion, but it would mean more to us if you justified it. Like tell us your law enforcement background – what facts do you have on airport security? These are important if you want to persuade people, but if you just want to mock us and poke fun, well, then you need go no further. Mission accomplished.
Libby: “I can unequivocally testify that the venal, greedy, inefficiencies endemic to human enterprise prevail in both the public and private sectors.”
Stating the obvious, people are flawed, isn’t an argument for government doing a better job…just the opposite! Since government jobs are secure (less likely to be fired; more likely to be promoted) where is the incentive to perform? In fact, why bother?
“… but then you’ve got the infrastructure…”
And the massive debt…and the massive interest on the debt!
“which might well afford a formerly public sector employee access to his currently private sector employment.”
He’s “currently” unemployed and I’ll bet he already has a an alternate route should he be fortunate enough to find employment.
“If, and only if, the funding citizens are more forward thinking than you seem to be, Tina.”
So called “forward thinking” is what got us into this mess. It’s based on two thing: 1. The belief that the elite few have THE answers and can save people, and 2. The belief that certain people are too dumb to act in their own best interests.
Forward thinking decided people of color don’t have what it takes to get themselves an education, or to work hard, or to save, or to start a business and move into the middle and upper classes so they need special considerations (loans they can’t afford) and redistribution. Forward thinking individuals think this despite evidence to the contrary; they think this despite the obvious prejudice required to think so little of people of color.
Forward thinking isn’t forward at all. It is backward thinking. It is as old as Marx and equally destructive, controlling, enslaving and outmoded!
Free people, rid the government ropes and ties that bind, will create a vibrant economy with abundance and plenty of opportunity. Let the people go!
Jim: “So should we also replace the City Police with a private security company?”
It might be worth a try. I would think you would at least be willing to consider it. Think about it. Your elected officials would have the power to replace a private sector company that failed to provide adequate service in their communities. The company would bear the burden of pay and beneifts for their employees rather than the city. Competition would ensure competence and keep costs down.
Mall cops perhaps?”
Very funny but it also makes you look silly. I know you are smarter than this joke would indicate. Obviously Mall cops have minimal training and experience. Consider the trained military men and women that might apply for these jobs before you suggest that because it would be a private sector company only commedians or actors would apply.
“Consider the trained military men and women that might apply for these jobs ….”
Only after you’ve decimated the public sector, where the training and pay are much better and, at 55, there is a police pension to add to the military pension.
“…before you suggest that because it would be a private sector company only commedians or actors would apply.”
Do apply, … because the training is virtually non-existent, the pay is filthy, and such firms have to take what they can get.
But getting back to the TSA, I like to think that no self-respecting es-military person would participate in the institutional incompetencies, the pointless petty repressions perpetrated to no legitimate purpose by that agency. Confiscating shampoo bottles and strip searching elderly incontinents … what horseshit.
With the uptick of violent community organized mobs at our malls, if I were a mall owner I would hire ex-military and arm them to the teeth.
Tina, My comment about ‘rent a cops’ at the air port was hardly an attempt at humor. I want you to explain why you feel that poorly trained, low paid private security is better than government trained, career security? Seriously is there any private security agency better than the FBI, or the Secret Service? There is a reason for that. I can also say proudly that the California Highway Patrol is one of the finest law enforcement organizations in the world. There is a reason for that too.
Low pay and poor training are not the answer to improving airport security.
Jim: “My comment about ‘rent a cops’ at the air port was hardly an attempt at humor.”
Glad to hear it, but perhaps you will understand why I thought as much after reading my answer to your request for an explanation:
“I want you to explain why you feel that poorly trained, low paid private security is better than government trained, career security?”
I’d be happy to explain. First of all why do you assume a private force would be poorly trained?
If I were going to start a security business I’d assemble a group of trained men and women…wouldn’t you? I would have to be an idiot not to hire those with some law enforcement or military experience and training. But even if I had to accept fresh faces I understand there is a program at our local college for the basics. Beyond that I would find trainers, Jack represents an excellent trainer type, with the experience and expertise needed to provide more in depth tactical and technical training.
There is a very good chance that someone in the private sector could get the job done at a much better price…and the officers would be just as qualified and professional. The difference would be they would share the cost of their 401K and other perks but they would also be in line to receive bonuses for excellent performance. They would know that professional excellence is required or they lose their job. Reward and consequence work hand in hand create a better, happier employee.
You know, the assumption of low pay seems to be pretty universal with those who hate business…are you positive that it isn’t just a lie told by union bosses to keep those dues streaming in?
A smart business person treats his employees like family and pays them well enough to keep them happy.
In contrast government (and unions) just keep upping the pay and benefits. These unsustanable promises (lies) are turning out to be a lousy deal for both workers and taxpayers in many situations all over the country.
We’re told all the time that company owners and shareholders are greedy and selfish…ya dah ya dah ya dah! But the greed and extortion practices used by unions in making deals for government employees are never brought up. Are these two groups represented honestly and fairly by critics? I think not.
My purpose in suggesting the private sector was not to desparage police officers or trained security professionals. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the people that do this work.
My purpose was to suggest a way to relieve taxpayers and governments of the heavy burdens that negotiations without consideration and layers of bureaucracy have given us.
One thing about hiring a private business…you can fire them if you don’t like their performance or if they try to charge you more than the taxpayers can afford.