Why am I not surprised at
this? The Bush administration runs over budget in the Federal Protective Service (which guards government buildings) by $6 million. So they decided to see if lawmakers would let them slide the money over from the research arm of the Department of Homeland Security. I mean, it's only $6 million, right? Chump change in the overall budget.
Except that the $6 million dollar was intended to be spent on explosives detection technology. You know, bomb detectors and such. Hmmm, how is that going to help win W's war on terror? Maybe someone should ask George. At least lawmakers in Congress had the sense to tell them to fund their budget shortfalls from other areas than the RESEARCH ARM of the DHS.
A couple of other gems from the article: first, the research department failed to spend $200 MILLION last year and it was rescinded by lawmakers. Ummm, who is in charge of the budget? Additionally, the Japanese government offered the US a liquid explosives detector earlier this year but the US has been "slow to start testing". Great, so others are offering groundbreaking technology to the US for testing and the US won't take advantage of it.
I am almost numb from the number of times I have read about the Bush administration and went "WTF!!!???" The Department of Homeland Security is a complete clusterfuck set up in the aftermath of 9/11. Is there ever going to be anyone held accountable? Or is that a foreign idea to the Bush administration?