As shockingly controversial as it may sound, the federal government does not have an unending supply of money!
I know, most elected politicians don’t think so – but we taxpayers do. And it is grotesquely offensive that the elected leaders in the House and Senate squeal like pigs whenever even a small portion of the cash tap is shut off. Seriously, whose money do you think it is that you are allocating?
It’s mine, and my neighbor’s, and the guy next to him.
I wouldn’t be forced to explain all of this if the collective elected leaders of New York hadn’t jumped out of the gate on Thursday acting like complete donkeys’ backsides. From Republican and Democratic members of Congress to both Sens. Schumer and Clinton, and even backstabbing Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the squeals erupted like little piggies.
Their complaint?
Homeland Security’s allocation of funds for the coming fiscal year was less than the previous year. New York was one of 45 cities that had applied for federal funding of Homeland Security projects. New York received $207 million last year and this year is slated to receive $125 million.
Altogether, the Department of Homeland Security received requests for funding projects that totaled more than $5.5 billion. The actual amount of monies for this year total $1.7 billion. Obviously, some requesters were not going to receive full funding for all projects. But that didn’t stop the crybaby whines emanating from Lower Manhattan.
“When you stop a terrorist, they have a map of New York City in their pocket. They don’t have a map of any of the other 45 places that get funding,” fumed Michael Bloomberg.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney added, “How did you leave every single landmark in the most famous city in the world off of that list?”
And ever the spontaneous television pundit, Sen. Chuck Schumer fomented, “I don’t think the president should come back and express solidarity with New York until there is more funding.”
Bloomberg then felt compelled to add this piece of silliness: “We’re going to continue to do what it takes to keep this city safe and then worry about the money.”
Neither of which is even remotely true. First off, Homeland Security found several areas of New York’s security initiatives to be among the least effective in the nation – and given that New York City has reaped a bounty of money from the feds in recent years, that finding is simply unacceptable. Secondly, Bloomberg will worry about the money despite his assertion otherwise, and the benefit to that is that initiatives will be tightened, procedures improved and the taxpayers will be benefited both in better security as well as less taxes being used frivolously.
As the Washington-based New York delegation keeps hyperventilating, let’s add a bit of perspective.
Of the $1.7 billion available for allocation, New York got the most at $125 million. Los Angeles trailed at $80 million. New York’s share of the take was actually about 18 percent of the total amount allocated for Homeland Security. And $125 million is considerably more than the $89.1 million requested for their “ring of steel” security system (modeled after London’s) that will assist with surveillance cameras, computerized license plate readers and vehicle barriers.
If anything, it is a slap to the American people at large for New York to assume that we deserve to continue to take in hundreds of millions more dollars each year simply for being “New York.” Closer to 9-11, we needed Washington’s help to rebuild and put new security systems in place. As time passes, if those systems are effective, then we should need less by way of federal support.
It is a dangerous signal to send to the rest of the nation for New York politicians to mock the safety of cities like Jacksonville, St. Louis, Louisville and Omaha – all of whom have significant sporting arenas and other landmarks that would make potential terrorist targets if their cities let their guards down.
New York leaders should remember that the nation paid our city the greatest compliment of all by rushing to our side in the moments, days and weeks following 9-11. The nation as a whole rallied and renamed New York its cultural capital and most loved urban center. It screams of tremendous ingratitude to the rest of the nation for us to decry the rest of the country when we still are receiving the lion’s share of dollars allocated for the protection of our nation in the event of another terrorist attack.
So to the entire congressional delegation, and to the mayor of the greatest city on earth, “Stop behaving like spoiled children. Make the decisions needed, do the hard work, and get the job done.”
A nation that once stood with you in your time of need is watching to see if you will now stand with them!
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