Homeland Security Boondoggle
A Congressional Investigation Calls Into Question How Federal Money Is Being Spent
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Boondoggle Bucks For Security
A new report shows a lot of Homeland Security money isn't being spent where it's needed most. Armen Keteyian talks with two critics who want to change that.
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Homeland Security Grants
Even though Phoenix is now the nation's fifth-largest city, its homeland security grants have shrunk 60 percent this year while smaller towns get more per person. Armen Keteyian investigates.
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Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., revealed a list of federal Homeland Security projects that Weiner said "run from tragic to funny to somewhere in between." (CBS)
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Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff addresses the Detroit Economic Club on Feb. 22, 2007. A new report says many Homeland Security projects are wasteful. (AP)
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America On Guard
The Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
"The things we're reviewing today run from tragic to funny to somewhere in between," Weiner said Thursday.
For example, there was $7,000 for bulletproof vests for police and fire department dogs in Ohio; $8,000 for clown and puppet shows performed by fire safety officials in Wisconsin; $33,000 for customized trailers to be used at a mushroom festival and lawn mower "drag races" in Texas; and $200,000 for 70 security cameras to protect a remote Alaska fishing village — cameras, the town admits on its Web site, "mostly no one" watches.
"If we reach a point where a fishing village in Alaska is the target of al Qaeda, we are all in very deep trouble," Weiner said.
In recent months, CBS News has reported on dubious Department of Homeland Security spending in states like Montana and Arizona, giving rise to those who question a formula set by Congress that requires every state — regardless of risk — get a slice of the Homeland Security pie.
"Very quickly it became almost an entitlement," says James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation. "The 9/11 Commission warned about this and said this is in danger of becoming pork-barrel funding."
On Thursday, Weiner and Flake proposed breaking open the barrel with a public database that would hold states accountable for how they spend every Homeland Security dollar.
"This is an effort to make sure that money goes where it is actually needed, rather than be spread across the country by either formula or favor," Flake said.
Today's critique comes as Homeland Security is reviewing applications on how it will allocate nearly $2 billion to cities and states this year.
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See all 54 CommentsWhy would you not want to protect them when they are trained "To Serve and Protect" just like their human conparts. I would guess that if you asked ANY K9 handler in the US, they would agree.
My question is, why only in Ohio??
Scott & Shirley Lumsden
THESE ANIMALS ARE HIGHLY TRAINED AND NOT PETS...THEY GO WHERE THEIR HUMAN PARTNERS CANNOT AND THIS DISCIPLINED TRAINING PAYS OFF IN THE LONG AND SHORT RUNS....
SHAME...SOMEONE NEEDS TO "RE-RESEARCH" THIS SEGMENT AND APOLOGIZE TO OUR CANINE OFFICERS AND THE DEPARTMENTS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM ON THEIR ROSTERS...
There, they may be "only" dogs but they work awfully hard for their dinner every day. That's a whole lot more than I can say for most of congress.
Day after day I am paying for health care, after school programs, additional schools supplies, alternative programs and needs of all the children in the United States. I don't have children and still I don't call this a BOONDOOGLE. It is what we do as Americans. I would certainly not want anyone to put their human child out to fight crime without a bullet proof vest. Shame on CBS News and Ms. Katie Couric
Surprisingly, Ms. Couric lumped the protective dog vests together with clown shows and lawn mower races and asked, "can anything be done to stop this?" Perhaps she might consider getting some first hand knowledge of police canine units before insinuating that police dogs don't deserve funding for protection in the line of duty.
.... and what can she do to stop this? - She can contact me, I will gladly send that Ohio canine unit the $7,348 that they need.... since it's clear that the CBS News team certainly never would.
sunny-r
It%u2019s honorable to protect those who protect us wether they be humans or humans best friends, I am dismayed that CBS evening news would not agree with me on this!
How much money our federal government wastes! And it is not limited to Homeland Security. Let's bring some people into office who will be accountable to the American People and spend ONLY THAT WHICH IS NECESSARY TO RUN THE COUNTRY and NOT A NICKEL MORE!!! I tire of Uncle Sam dipping his hands in my pocket without my permission for things that I don't really care about -- like $200,000 for security cameras in Alaska! What a waste.
Katie asked Armen, "Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?" I'll tell you what I'm gonna do: I'm going to start getting my news from the other networks, and I'm going to try to convince my fellow Arizonans to boot Jeff Flake out the door when he runs for re-election.
Armen Keteyian and Katie Couric owe an apology to every police officer who has ever had a K-9 partner killed in the line of duty.
But if you remember this very reason is why Steny Hoyer was selected over John Murtha for the Leadership position. Bush can push Hoyer to do what Bush wants, Hoyer is Bushs Man.
Write your Representatives and Senators!
SHOW THEM YOUR DISDAIN OF THEIR COWARDOUS ACTIONS WHILE OUR TROOPS ARE DYING!
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
Here is the House Speakers email address:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
500,000,000,000 to rebuild Iraq, what about rebuilding NYC & NO !!! Ground zero is still nothing more than a hole in the ground after all this time!! and much of NO is still a ghost town.
MY WIFE INFORMED ME THAT THE DOG VEST IS NOT A WASTE OF MONEY. WELL,(IF I WANT TO EAT DINNER TONIGHT,I GUESS I BETTER AGREE) ITS THE LEAST EVIL OF THE WASTED FUNDS.
I think you should have interviewed some police departments before you said $7,000 is a waste of taxpayers money.
Pete
Yeah those lawnmower races must have been awesome, bet Bush had one in it. Not sure he drove it though cause he may not have a license yet from his DWI
Pete
Indianspolis recently had a police dog shot and killed and local school children raise money for vests for other police dogs. Maybe Steve Hartman should take a look at this issue.
What were you thinking??????
Sender
if CBS news would have put the site address in the article for the ALASKA site, maybe 200,000 people would click in to see!
it would be fun to see a polar bear waddle on by. maybe a moose? birds? a real eskimo? the world is TIRED of California beaches! and NY times square.
for all the free advertizing Obama has been given on t.v., it would be nice to see Alaska get a second in the news.
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