Government Waste in Billions : Senator Attacks DHS

A reasonable person that contains even a once of common sense will recognize this as a problem. A federal government that's so huge and out of control as it can not know from one day to the next what it's actually doing or for what purpose.

But then, as any persons that has even an once of common sense will know, if they are paying attention, having a government that has it's fingers in every aspect of our lives is exactly what the progressive socialist want, and that it waste billions of dollars on stupid projects is just another way of corrupting our local communities with "free money". Getting the locals 'hooked' on handouts is a good way to ensure that they will be back for more, and to ensure that the money keeps coming, they will vote to make that happens.

What a great way to solidify a voter base now and for the future : bribe them with money and then threaten to with hold it if they don't vote the right way. What a country we have now with the progressive socialist liberal Democrats running the show.

Who voted for this? Worse, why?

Senator Slams Homeland Security Program for Wasteful, Frivolous Spending
December 11, 2012
Source: John Solomon, "Senator Slams Homeland Program for Wasteful, Frivolous Spending," Washington Guardian, December 5, 2012.

Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has accused the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Urban Area Security Initiative grant program of being wasteful. The purpose of the program was to provide funds to communities that would be used to enhance readiness and response capabilities in the event of terrorist attacks, says the Washington Guardian.

• The program has cost $7.1 billion over the last decade.
• Some examples of misuse include: 13 sno-cone machines in Michigan, a $98,000 underwater robot in Ohio, an armored vehicle in a small New Hampshire town used to patrol the annual pumpkin festival, and zombie survival training.
• In essence, the program has become a means for local police departments to use federal funds to buy equipment without assessing at the costs and benefits.

Coburn argues that the problem with the program is that there is no way to means test or ensure that federal dollars are actually being used for preventing terror attacks. The DHS responds that the funds are being used for important matters and that it has improved its oversight of spending. In addition, the Obama administration has proposed a new approach that would target the funds more appropriately and incorporate measures of effectiveness to ensure accountability.

The program may give funds to legitimate counterterrorism needs but is wasted because of mismanagement. For example, in Cook County, Illinois, $45 million was spent on a camera surveillance system but failed because it could not withstand harsh weather conditions. This is one example of the DHS approving funds without rigorously testing whether the costs could be justified.

The DHS and subordinate agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency are accused of rubber-stamping requests without investigating the need for them. This is most evident in the use of the program's funds to pay for zombie apocalypse training.

Coburn's critique of the program comes as Washington debates the larger issue of fiscal restraint and the economy. He argues that budgets need to be cut and oversight needs to be improved to make sure taxpayer dollars are not being squandered.