The spotlight has been shown recently on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Ever since the departure of Tom Ridge, Chertoff has had a semi-low profile compared to other officials such as Rumsfeld or Rovitt. Not any more. Today he proved that he will continue the Bush Administration’s assault on homeland security. From the AP:
The federal government can provide only limited help to states and local governments to protect transit systems from terror attacks, and local officials must be largely responsible for the costs of improved subway, train and bus security, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff said Thursday.
His comments, one week after the bombings on London’s subway and bus systems, prompted criticism from Senate Democrats who represent large metropolitian areas.
Chertoff said attacks that could produce the most casualties are his highest priority. He said the federal government should financially support the nation’s commercial airlines because the aviation system is largely a federal responsibilty, while mass transit systems are mostly owned and operated by state and local authorities.
More below the fold…
I really don’t understand what type of logic these people operate upon. Not only is this recommendation an assault on their stated goal of security, it’s also a politically-stupid move. The state governments are already operating on bare minimum resources and now they’re being asked to pick up Bush’s tab for this? Wait, it gets better. Chertoff continues his remarks by driving a cultural wedge between us and our allies:
Chertoff drew a comparison between lifestyles and attitudes in the United States and Europe that he said play a part in preventing terror attacks.
“I’m not going to single out particular countries, but in continental Europe, there are generations where you have these second, third-generation persons, descendants of immigrants, who are not considered to be truly in the fabric of the country,” he said.
“One of the great things about this country is there is a lot of social mobility,” Chertoff added. “It’s hard to imagine a country that is more welcoming and more willing to accept people in which people can rise. And I think that tends to reduce the amount of frustration.”
He also acknowledged that “we’re never going to have people who are disaffected, you know, we’ve had all kinds of people historically who do bad things and commit acts of terror.” Still, Chertoff said, but that “our welcoming social fabric, our civil liberties and our sense of equality and openness is still one of the very powerful tools we have and something we want to be careful not to diminish.”
Underfund our transit system? Check
Take a crack at our European friends? Check
Prove that he is a shill for the Bush Administration? Check
It’s official. Michael Chertoff is the Secretary of Homeland Insecurity
Use this diary to document the ways that the Bush Administration is making us less-safe here in the homeland.
