Partisan Homeland Security Funding
Returning to fiscal sense on homeland security
Star-Ledger
Friday, May 04, 2007
Remember when the bulk of state homeland security money was doled out mostly to Democratic towns? Turns out that in the rush to stuff cash into town coffers, little was done to figure out how to spend it.
Now a certain Democrat with a background in finance, namely Gov. Jon Corzine, wants the money back.
The funds were allocated by James E. McGreevey's administration over a three-year period. But the Corzine administration, at a time when the state is struggling to close a budget gap, says $2.78 million of the homeland security money has gone unused, so it should be returned to the state treasury.
Newark, for example, never claimed $191,250 it was due. Edison requested $170,000 in state money to buy a mobile command vehicle and other equipment but then never spent the money. Jersey City spent $521,000 but left another $143,000 unused.
In addition to the $2.78 million, the state Attorney General's Office says there is another $1 million set aside but never allocated that will be put back in the general treasury for the upcoming budget.
When the McGreeveyites came up with the spending plan for homeland security, Republicans said politics, not need, was the basis. The astonishing fact that more than 90 percent of the money went to Democratic districts was proof of a rotten system, they argued -- convincingly.
At least two Republican assemblymen went so far as to call for a federal probe. They noted that some municipalities in Democrat-controlled legislative districts actually got more money than they requested.
Seems they were right about the motives for sharing the money.
The Corzine administration, to its credit, has pulled the plug on the entire state homeland security program and is now taking the extraordinary step of demanding that municipalities return the money if they haven't made purchases.
Many communities readily admitted they were unable to spend the money. Good for them. To rush to try to spend the money willy-nilly would have been irresponsible.
Five years after 9/11, homeland security remains a top priority. Helping municipalities prepare for potential catastrophes is sensible. Letting money sit unused isn't.
Star-Ledger
Friday, May 04, 2007
Remember when the bulk of state homeland security money was doled out mostly to Democratic towns? Turns out that in the rush to stuff cash into town coffers, little was done to figure out how to spend it.
Now a certain Democrat with a background in finance, namely Gov. Jon Corzine, wants the money back.
The funds were allocated by James E. McGreevey's administration over a three-year period. But the Corzine administration, at a time when the state is struggling to close a budget gap, says $2.78 million of the homeland security money has gone unused, so it should be returned to the state treasury.
Newark, for example, never claimed $191,250 it was due. Edison requested $170,000 in state money to buy a mobile command vehicle and other equipment but then never spent the money. Jersey City spent $521,000 but left another $143,000 unused.
In addition to the $2.78 million, the state Attorney General's Office says there is another $1 million set aside but never allocated that will be put back in the general treasury for the upcoming budget.
When the McGreeveyites came up with the spending plan for homeland security, Republicans said politics, not need, was the basis. The astonishing fact that more than 90 percent of the money went to Democratic districts was proof of a rotten system, they argued -- convincingly.
At least two Republican assemblymen went so far as to call for a federal probe. They noted that some municipalities in Democrat-controlled legislative districts actually got more money than they requested.
Seems they were right about the motives for sharing the money.
The Corzine administration, to its credit, has pulled the plug on the entire state homeland security program and is now taking the extraordinary step of demanding that municipalities return the money if they haven't made purchases.
Many communities readily admitted they were unable to spend the money. Good for them. To rush to try to spend the money willy-nilly would have been irresponsible.
Five years after 9/11, homeland security remains a top priority. Helping municipalities prepare for potential catastrophes is sensible. Letting money sit unused isn't.
Labels: Democrats, New Jersey Homeland Security Funding, Poltical Corruption
| Permalink | 
