The Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), the brainchild of this current administration, has an operating budget for 2006 of $40.6 billion. After three years and more than $100 billion, have we really reached the point were we can sleep better at night with the knowledge that our "Leaders" are doing everything possible to protect us against those terrorists attacks.



According to the Government Accountability Office ("GAO"), nothing has changed since the inception of the DHS in 2003. During their most recent test of nine US border crossings: California, Texas, Arizona, Michigan, New York, Idaho and Washington, the GAO investigators were able to penetrate all nine border crossings using fake ID's and phony names.

Terrorists or criminals can "pass freely into the United States ... with little or no chance of being detected," the GAO concludes in testimony given to the Senate Finance Committee. The investigators used readily available computers and software to create these counterfeit driver's licenses and documents. None of the Customs and Border Protection agents "ever questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents." The GAO also said similar tests in 2003 produced similar results.

According to the DHS, it has trained border agents to spot fake documents and the agents intercepted more than 75,000 last year, but the job is complicated by the huge variety of legitimate documents. More than 8,000 are used to enter the country, including easy-to-forge licenses and birth certificates.

So let me make sure I understand this: three years, $100 billion, the complete erosion of our Civil Liberties, invasion of our privacy during phone calls, surveillance on our bank accounts and arresting citizens and denying them legal counsel, but yet the test results are the same as 2003. Am I missing something here or is the DHS the biggest joke ever played on the American public.

Why is it that whenever we get near to a budget or increased funding hearing for the DHS at the Senate Finance Committee we seem to suddenly be bombarded with new terrorists threats or new information about a pending attack? Do they really think we are all that stupid or is it that they just have so little respect for us, they just don't care!

So what did we get for our money and loss of Civil Liberties? Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, applauded increased funding and changes to the Department of Homeland Security's organization during a ceremony at the White House in October last year where President Bush signed the FY 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. He outlined an integrated Preparedness Directorate to enhance coordination and deployment of preparedness assets and training at a cost of $4 billion.

What were they doing for the last three years? Secretary Chertoff, earlier this year, outlined a new six-point agenda which included the following: the creation of an Office of Intelligence and Analysis to be led by a Chief Intelligence Officer by separating and elevating the Information Analysis component of IAIP. Wow this sounds important. He also wants to establish an Operations Office, which will include the Homeland Security Operations Center. Then there's the Office of Policy and the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.

I am now sure there must be a department within DHS that has an operating title of Formation of Stupid Titles for Departments to Increase Funding.

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