Walter Cronkite | Coast Guard foundering as funds run dry

[Trajan]

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/8837503.htm

Posted on Fri, Jun. 04, 2004

Walter Cronkite | Coast Guard foundering as funds run dry

-snip-

While the White House boasts of its anti-terrorist prowess, budget cutting seems to be the order of the day. To make up for at least some of the enormous tax cuts given to wealthy individuals and corporations, the administration is cutting budgets across the board -- and that includes homeland security.

The euphemism du jour is "efficiency." Increasing efficiency is the reason the number of airport screeners has been cut by 9 percent from the 2003 level, even as air travel rapidly soars toward pre-Sept. 11 levels.

The administration likes to compare current spending with pre-Sept. 11 levels, but that surely is a misleading benchmark. The relevant question today is not how then compares with now but whether what is spent today is adequate for today's challenges.

For instance, the Coast Guard's budget is up 51 percent from its pre-Sept. 11 numbers. But there remain serious questions about the adequacy of that amount now. When asked about it, Coast Guard officials and spokespeople, loyal sailors that they are, insist that they have enough to execute their mission.

But do they really? They are, after all, responsible for the security of 361 ports and 95,000 miles of navigable waterways and the monitoring of about 20,000 oceangoing vessels and their cargo -- a tall order at any time.

-snip-

Wow .... To think that Cronkite can STILL be an effective communicator in media ... He CERTAINLY commanded oodles of respect in his day ....

Can he still carry the torch ? ...

[struggle4progress]

1. Not very smart, Mr. President. eom