Texas Audit Cites Improper Use of $600 Million in Homeland Security Funds

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB5FBPXP3E.html

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - An audit of the state's spending of nearly $600 million in federal antiterrorism funds found that some of the money was spent improperly, including to buy a trailer that was used to haul lawn mowers to "lawn mower drag races."

The state auditor's office pointed out several cases in which poor monitoring by the Texas Engineering Extension Service may have allowed abuse.

One county bought 18 radios and other communication equipment from a company owned by one of its county commissioners, according to the report released Thursday. Another jurisdiction used a trailer ostensibly bought as emergency equipment to haul lawn mowers to races, the report says.

State auditors have forwarded the case to their special investigation unit, which handles fraud, abuse and other criminal allegations.

The audit's findings mirror some of the weaknesses identified in a September report by The Dallas Morning News. The newspaper found that some cities used anti-terrorism funds to buy equipment for traffic stops, drug investigations and even community festivals.

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[The Zanti Regent]

1. Now Now Now, this is TEX ASS we're talking about

And they can do whatever they want and get that blank check from the Nazi Party and the M$M!

[susanna]

9. LOL....

I've called it TEX ASS before in a couple conversations. No one ever gets it!

P.S. For DU Texans, I apologize. It's just that sometimes I have no idea what is going on down there to make people do such strange things. DU Texans are absolutely fine by me. :-)

[goforit]

14. Tooo funny!!!......I do believe there is a need for a modern day el Alamo

[AwakeAtLast]

2. I feel so much safer now,

knowing that lawn mowers will make it to their races on time and the local Bar-B-Que festival will still go on. What a great use for my tax dollars! (sarcasm off)

edit because I type slower than I think.

[underpants]

3. lawn mower drag races-I'm sorry you don't get redder than that

Oh am I being ELITIST? Look I appreciate down home stuff as much as the next guy but lawn mower drag races?

[TexasChick]

4. Good grief! I'm native Texan and I've never heard of this crap either.

Good heavens, how embarrassing!

[struggle4progress]

10. Either we has them lawn-mowders or them terrorists has. Yew cain't ...

... have it both ways! I fer one feels safer with them lawn mowders in American hands. Whose side is yew on, anyway?

[BattyDem]

5. Well, terrorists COULD hide in high grass, right?

:eyes:

[Osamasux]

6. These SOBs will turn anything into pork.

Meanwhile, they won't let NYC use it to pay for police overtime needed to provide security for events which are likely terrorist targets, like the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.

[WhiteTara]

7. New York is a blue state

and aren't we supposed to be begging etc before they will give
us anything?  After all, chimpy is a uniter, not a divider.

[Osamasux]

8. Damn, your right. Sorry, forgot my place for a minute.

Please sir, may I have some more?

[TankLV]

11. How much did delay get?

[rainbow4321]

12. Guess those lawn mowers are guarding the TX sports' complexes

http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/2005-01-06/news/buzz.html


Here's further proof that having professional sports franchises in your town is worth a hell of a lot of money. In its recently released budget for fiscal year 2005, the Department of Homeland Security decided to award $5 million of the $3.6 billion it set aside for its Urban Area Security Initiative to... Arlington. Seems the DHS has decided that the home of the Texas Rangers (and, in a few years, the Dallas Cowboys) is a "high-threat" urban area.
Previously, Arlington was getting about $400,000 to $500,000 from the feds, but now, instead of funneling most of the security money to "high-risk" cities, the DHS is sending it to the nation's biggest cities.
Also, the department now factors in reports of domestic terrorism incidents, "whether actual attacks or just false reports," according to a recent story in The New York Times.

[LiviaOlivia]

13. Please God let there be a Delay link

With all the confirming emails and paper trails.

[Santa Cruz]

15. I work

for DHS, and I can tell you more horror stories.