YOUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Might as well go straight to the lead in this article about the latest allocation of phunny munny from the gang in our nation's capital: "The two cities targeted in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks will receive far less counterterrorism money this year in what the Homeland Security Department described Wednesday as an effort to spread funding to other communities facing threats."

Other communities facing threats. Rising fuel costs in Mississippi? Suburban sprawl in Oklahoma? Declining employment base in Ohio? The hidden tax known as inflation in Maine?

The flood of bullshit coming out of Washington is the only "threat" I see.

In case any of you've forgetten the events of 5 years ago, the very same events we're not permitted Ever to Forget, "the two cities" slated for funding cuts would be Washington D.C. and New York City. Yeah, one houses the Pentagon and serves as the seat of the American government. The other has that gigantic hole in the ground, right down the street from the country's financial center. Those two cities.

Obviously, the election year feeding trough, aka the "D.C. All You Can Eat Buffet," is open for business. A few nuggets as reported in the article:

The department [of Homeland Security] said the total does not reflect an additional $25 million for nonprofit groups, and other minor costs.

Until now, the grants largely have been awarded based on cities' populations. Homeland Security still is weighing population as a factor in the grants, but it is mostly awarding the money based on a city's threat risk and how effectively the city will use the funds.

"At the end of the day our job is to make sure that we apply resources in an appropriate manner across the full breadth of this nation so that we get the maximum benefit out of those dollars," according to Homeland Security Undersecretary George Foresman.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida will receive $9.9 million for 2006. GOP Congressman Clay Shaw Jr. complained about the "paltry share" the Feds gave his area compared with Miami last year.

What "non-profit groups"? What "other minor costs," and what, exactly, is minor about $25 M? Why on earth should it matter "how effectively the city will use the funds"? What does that mean? Note the word isn't "efficiently," but "effectively." So if a local government is corrupt and misguided, they won't get antiterrorism money? Really? The "job" of the DHS is spending money across the whole nation, regardless of actual terror threat? This a joke.

And don't even get me started with the Florida boondoggle. That's the same state that "sponsored" the ridiculous aircraft carrier sinking I talked about a couple weeks ago.

I'm not even sure how I feel about the whole "Federal money for counterterrorism" thing from the get-go. These are, after all, the clowns that screwed up on 9/11, screwed up with Katrina, and screwed up everything else they've touched over the last few years. But, for crissakes, if you're gonna spend on counterterrorism, spend it where it's needed!

At least drunk spring breakers and geriatrics in Southern Florida can sunbathe without anxiety now. They won't have a penny to spend without going further into debt, but at least they'll be safe from terror . . . until the midterm elections.