Waste, fraud, and abuse reigns at the Department of Homeland Security. Would you be better off if it was abolished?
Now, a shocking Senate investigation on “Fusion Centers” provides further evidence of DHS incompetence or worse.
If you are as fed up as I am, I encourage you to write Congress. You may borrow from or copy these comments…
The Senate Government Affairs Committee investigated DHS-funded counter-terrorism Fusion Centers. Their report angers me. (http://shar.es/5CwIH).
The DHS is secretive, corrupt, and incompetent. It…
- initially refused to cooperate in the investigation.
- let local fusion centers spend federal funds for unneeded equipment, such as SUVs and flat screen TVs.
- does NOT know if it’s spent $289 million or $1.4 BILLION on fusion centers; WHAT KIND OF ACCOUNTING IS THIS?
Moreover…
Fusion centers are unhelpful…
- Many lack intelligence-sharing procedures with the feds — the alleged purpose of their existence!
- They duplicate other federal/local programs, such as FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces.
- Not once have they disrupted or prevented a terror plot.
Also…
Fusion centers endanger Americans by…
- routinely violating civil liberties and privacy laws.
- producing shoddy and dated “intelligence,” mostly unrelated to terrorism.
All of that frightens me because too much useless information can hinder legitimate terror investigations and make us LESS safe.
Three examples of fusion center incompetence are cited in the full report …
- Blaming a Russian for hacking into the Springfield IL Water District’s systems. It was actually an employee logging in while vacationing in Russia.
- Implying Jared Loughner shot Gabrielle Giffords because she was the first Jewish female elected to Congress (obviously false).
- The now-infamous Missouri memo suggesting that members of the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party, as well as Ron Paul supporters are potential terrorists.
Fusion Centers are like the DHS as a whole. Instead of increased security, we get waste, fraud, and abuse.
I do not consent to fusion centers. Defund them, and while you’re at it, get rid of DHS.
END LETTER
You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.
Jim Babka & James Wilson
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.