Admin Mod to Trolls: “Drop Dead”

New York Times ^

[Buck Ninety-Nine]

WASHINGTON, May 31 — After vowing to steer a greater share of antiterrorism money to the highest-risk communities, Department of Homeland Security officials on Wednesday announced 2006 grants that slashed money for New York and Washington 40 percent, while other cities including Omaha and Louisville, Ky., got a surge of new dollars.

Homeland security officials said the grants were a result of a more sophisticated evaluation process

[jebeier]

Murrah Building, Oklahoma City.

You have to play the odds. With limited funds, you have to put your money where the most likely threats are. Otherwise this pot of money is just more pork barrel spending to buy favor in the various states.

I know everybody wants a piece of the pie, but when the purpose of the pie in the first place is to prevent terrorist violence, you would think they could contain their natural impulse to grab as much as possible.

In any case, it is a done deal. The folks in Dubuque will all get their cut, and the next time something happens in NYC, everybody will shake their heads and wonder how that happened. I accept that this is inevitable. Just don't ask me to like it.

[firebrand]

If I got your point, maybe I could respond.

[inkling]

The whole rest of the nation is a "weak link" outside of the main targets. Does it make sense to protect every part of it the way we protect the targets? The terrorists don't want to be laughed at for evaporating a Wal-Mart in Omaha.

Beslan.

[Lekker 1]

I was just thinking that the weapons of choice on Sept 11 could just as easily been launched from Omaha. Personally, I would be much more terrorized if a WalMart in Omaha got wiped out than an office building in NYC.

[firebrand]

Please address yourself to my point, which is that it is impossible to protect every unlikely target.

[Roscoe Karns]

Your hero Michael Moore said there is no terrorist threat. All the creeps in Bill Maher's audience agreed and applauded when he said it. So why is cutting funding to New York City (or anywhere else) for a problem that "doesn't exist", a problem for you?

[firebrand]

But just think of the worldwide headlines: "Osama to Omaha Big Box: Drop Dead." Laughingstock time for the mighty terrorists. They want to be drama queens. Otherwise there's no point.

[CyberAnt]

Excuse me .. honey I got the US Navy and Marines up the ying-yang in San Diego - two of the hijackers lived here - and it was discovered they were casing the place and taking pictures for over 6 months.

So don't boo-hoo me. We are a target - whether people like it or not.

[Delta 21]

If the first one doesnt get you, the second one surely will.

[Lekker 1]

Osama Levels Midwestern Walmart...China Condemns Act of Terrorism

[TXKATE]

I grew up in Omaha. I was always taught that Omaha would be a major target for attacks because of the Strategic Air Command that was located just outside of Omaha. Does anyone know if it is still there? If so, that probably is one of the reasons Omaha rec'd more money.

[Labyrinthos]

The world doesn't revolve around you New York, you too California.

Actually, the world does revolve around NYC and the entire NYC Metro area. Despite the high taxes and the high cost of living, the NYC metro area remains the financial capital of the world, the corporate capital of the world, the cultural capital of the United States, the sporting capital of the United States, the media capital of the United States, one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and for better or for worse, the diplomatic capital of the world. I recall reading recently that the goods and services produced by NYC itself exceed the GNP of all but a handful of countries and all states except for California and New York (if NYC is included), and perhaps Texas. The New York City Mass Transit system moves something like 3,000,000 people a day, and the equivilent of the entire City of Atlanta walks through Grand Central Station alone on a daily basis. Within a 20 mile radius we have two pro basketball teams, three pro hockey teams, two pro baseball teams, and two pro football teams.

My point is that while every city in the country is a potential terror target, NYC remains the place where every terrorist wants to strike.

[caseinpoint]

Well then, maybe a policy decentralizing these "capital" activities in the New York area is a good idea. Then it wouldn't be such an attractive target, as you say.

Actually, I suspect that most of those activities would carry on elsewhere if New York were leveled by terrorists, tsunami, earthquake, whatever, and no one would miss Manhattan. The world is changing and geographic location is no longer critical to "capital" activities. Viva la Internet!

[catmanblack.]

.Unfortunately I see people like Bloomberg telling everyone else they should live like he wants and obey his rules (New Yorks rules and laws). But the rest of us, for the most part live in a free society. We need to spend money in other places that are strategically important also. Sure the bigger cities should get the most money, but don't ever consider we are peons in the great scheme of things. We have our own families and friends. With forty thousand cops in New York, they have one hell'uva headstart on security.

[Labyrinthos]

and no one would miss Manhattan.

Bit of an overstatemt, don't you think?

[Inspectorette]

That would be Offutt AFB, which believe is still there.

SAC fulfilled its mission - it was instrumental in ending the Cold War, and has now been disbanded (don't know if the correct term might be "decommissioned").

[Gaffer]

Maybe they should just move.

[Gaffer]

That's the ticket....

[Indy Pendance]

The majority of military bases are in the 'sticks'. The world doesn't revolve around NY City. I'm so sick of NY and CA whining all the time.

[caseinpoint]

Maybe, okay a few would miss Manhattan but most of the so-called "flyover country" gets tired of being put down by New Yorkers who are first at the federal trough every time.