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:: 10.08.2004 ::
Homeland Insecurity
If there was still any question about the Bush administration's priorities, here's a breakdown of their spending on beefing up national security, contrasted with actual need (and compared to costs of the current Iraq war). Amount needed for basic security upgrades for subway and commuter trains in large cities: $6 BILLION (Iraq spending equivalent: 20 days)
Bush budget allocation for train security: $100 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 8 hours)
Amount needed to equip all U.S. airports with machines that screen baggage for explosives: $3 BILLION (Iraq equivalent: 10 days)
Bush budget allocation for baggage-screening machines: $400 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 32 hours)
Amount needed for security upgrades at 361 U.S. ports: $1.1 BILLION (Iraq equivalent: 4 days)
Bush budget allocation for port security: $210 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 17 hours)
Amount needed to buy radiation portals for U.S. ports to detect dirty bombs in cargo: $290 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 23 hours)
Bush budget allocation for radiation portals: $43 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 3 hours)
Amount needed to help local firefighters preparefor terrorist attacks: $36.8 BILLION (Iraq equivalent: 122 days)
Bush budget allocation for firefighter grants: $500 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 40 hours)
Amount needed to get local emergency medical crews ready for terrorist atttacks: $1.4 BILLION (Iraq equivalent: 5 days)
Bush budget allocation for emergency medical training grants prior to eliminating program altogether: $50 MILLION (Iraq equivalent: 4 hours)
Sources:
All Bush allocation figures taken from administration estimates of FY 2005 budget
Subway and rail security upgrades
Amount needed: Statement by William W. Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association, 5/20/04
Baggage screening
Amount needed: Government Accountability Office, "Aviation Security: Challenges Exist in Stabilizing and Enhancing Passenger and Baggage Screening Operations" [PDF], 2/12/04, p. 28
Port security upgrades
American Association of Port Authorities, "AAPA Concerned FY '05 Lacks Funds For Port Facility Security", 2/2/04
Radiation portals
Amount needed: Calculation based on figures from House Committee on Appropriations (Total cost of radiation portals: $495.5 million. Amount already spent: $205.5 million. Remaining amount: $290 million)
Firefighter preparedness
Amount needed: Council on Foreign Relations, "Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Underprepared", p. 34
Emergency medical preparedness
Amount needed: Council on Foreign Relations, "Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Underprepared", p. 37 Lifted straight from the current issue of MoJo. Total needed for the above homeland security improvements: $48.59 billion; total allocated: $1.303 billion. Total allocated for the war in Iraq so far: $200 billion. Could their priorities be any clearer?
:: Deb 11:40 AM :: permalink ::
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