[NYTr] Bush Proposes Dramatic Cuts In Homeland Security Funding

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

NBC News - Dec 3, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22053644/

Bush Proposes Dramatic Cuts In Homeland Security Funding

WNBC-TV

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration intends to slash counter terrorism
funding for police, firefighters and rescue departments nation-wide by
more than half next year, according to budget documents obtained by The
Associated Press. Watch Video New York would be hard hit by deep cuts,
according to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The plan would eliminate programs for port security, transit security
and local emergency management operations in the next budget year.

The move comes a year after New York saw a nearly 40-percent cut in its
anti-terrorism funding by the Homeland Security Department. The move
was decried by city officials including Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a
political maneuver. Long Island Congressman Peter King, a Republican,
called this year's proposal a "very grave mistake" that "goes totally
in the wrong direction," and vowed to do what he could to stop it.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said targeting essential Homeland
Security programs, which protect Americans more than much of the money
spent in Iraq shows -- in his words -- how "out of touch this
administration's priorities are." The Homeland Security Department
wants to provide $3.2 billion to help states and cities protect against
terrorist attacks in 2009, but the White House said it will ask
Congress for less than half -- $1.4 billion, according to a Nov. 26
document.

One document says the president does not believe previous homeland
security grants have been well spent and does not believe the nation's
highest-risk cities have satisfied security needs.

This is President Bush's last budget, and the new administration would
have to live with the funding decisions.