Cuts Likely in Transit Security

[IChing]

By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three weeks before London's bus and subway bombings, a Senate committee voted to slash spending on mass transit security in the United States, a decision sure to be reversed when Congress returns next week.

At a minimum, the Senate will restore the $50 million cut, G. William Hoagland, top budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Friday.

There is pressure for a lot more, though adding to rail and transit security programs means cutting elsewhere in the Homeland Security Department's $32 billion budget for next year. That places severe limits on what Congress can do - at least if it plays by its budget rules.

Despite the March 2004 bombing of Madrid's subway system, U.S. officials have been consumed with preventing a repeat of the airliner hijackings that produced the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.>>>>snip

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_TRANSIT_SECURITY?SITE=MNMAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-07-08-16-10-54

[jsamuel]

1. So who voted to cut it in the first place, names?

[AndyTiedye]

2. They'll Probably Just Shut Transit Down Instead

They already want to that to Amtrak.:grr:

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. We're going to have to restore money cut from the budget?

Quick! Give the rich another tax break!

[indepat]

4. We can take comfort that all funds spent to keep the homeland secure will

be spent wisely and thereby give us the greatest protection for the dollars expended.

[IChing]

5. To me it shows how short sighted the republicans are

Never mind the chemical plants, nuclear facilities, and ports

Kerry was right on this during the election and once again it is an issue for the democratic party to take on.

Now about your toe-nail clippers fellow flyers.

[Journeyman]

6. I read yesterday that even if they doubled the amount. . .

spent on transit security, nationwide, it wouldn't amount to as much as 1/10th of 1 percent of the money we've spent since the IraqAttak began.

Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark or archive the info.

Anyone have confirmation on this, or a better take on what is being spent on security?

[mom cat]

7. Take the money out of missle defence, and the War of Error

[opusprime]

Congress Likely to Restore Transit Funds

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050708/ap_on_go_co/congress_transit_security

WASHINGTON - Three weeks before London's bus and subway bombings, a Senate committee voted to slash spending on mass transit security in the United States, a decision sure to be reversed when Congress returns next week.
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At a minimum, the Senate will restore the $50 million cut, G. William Hoagland, top budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Friday.

There is pressure for a lot more, though adding to rail and transit security programs means cutting elsewhere in the
Homeland Security Department's $32 billion budget for next year. That places severe limits on what Congress can do — at least if it plays by its budget rules.

snip...

In a stroke of bad timing, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted last month to slash money for rail and transit security grants to state and local government by a third from the $150 million devoted to them this year. As of May, none of the money had been distributed by the Homeland Security Department.


WHOOPS... Break out the waffle iron, time to flip flop.

[burrowowl]

8. With GAS going up!

Might be more mass transit riders.
Too bad ABQ doesn't have much mass transit!

[Justice]

9. Senate likely to restore cuts to rail security funds

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/08/congress.transitsecurity.ap/index.html

Three weeks before London's bus and subway bombings Thursday, a Senate committee voted to slash spending on mass transit security in the United States, a decision sure to be reversed when Congress returns next week.

At a minimum, the Senate will restore the $50 million cut, G. William Hoagland, top budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, said Friday.

There is pressure for a lot more, though adding to rail and transit security programs means cutting elsewhere in the Homeland Security Department's $32 billion budget for next year. That places severe limits on what Congress can do -- at least if it plays by its budget rules.