New Joisey republicans complain about unfair homeland security funding

DJPoopypants · Jul 14, 2005

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1121317057302120.xml&coll=1

Republicans yesterday called on Attorney General Peter Harvey to explain why his office distributed 93 percent of state homeland security equipment grant money to towns in Democratic legislative districts over the past three years.

"It's foolish in the extreme," said Peapack-Gladstone Republican Councilman William Horton, whose borough sought $150,000 to purchase equipment. "Terrorists will not plan attacks on party lines."

Ralph Blakeslee, Mendham Borough's administrator, said he wasn't surprised by the controversy. His municipality applied for $75,000 in grant money to purchase an incident command vehicle for the fire department and got nothing.

When Hillsborough Township in Somerset County learned it was not going to get any of the $200,000 it had requested for its police, firefighters and rescue squad, officials wrote to the attorney general to ask why.

"The more I think about it, the madder I get," said Committeeman Steven Sireci. "I was practically choking -- we're Republicans, that's what we're doing wrong. I suspect that politics plays a lot with these grants. But this is now security we're talking about, post 9/11, and you're doing that by politics, too?"
Click to expand...

Does this sound to you like

a) calls for affirmative action?

b) calls for "screw the cities, bridges, tunnels, railroads, airports, skyscrapers & chemical plants - we need more money to protect little Tiffany's suburban backyard playset!"

Chris M. · Jul 14, 2005

DJPoopypants said:

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1121317057302120.xml&coll=1

Does this sound to you like

a) calls for affirmative action?

b) calls for "screw the cities, bridges, tunnels, railroads, airports, skyscrapers & chemical plants - we need more money to protect little Tiffany's suburban backyard playset!"
Click to expand...

I think they should immediately mobilize the NJ College Republicans and get to the bottom of this.

skipshady · Jul 14, 2005

Isn't NJ a heavy Dem state, especially where likely terrorist targets like the ports and bridges/tunnels are?

Claymore · Jul 14, 2005

skipshady said:

Isn't NJ a heavy Dem state, especially where likely terrorist targets like the ports and bridges/tunnels are?
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. I don't think terrorists are going to waste much time in the 'burbs.