Homeland Security Department In Total Disarray

As the Department of Homeland Security prepares for its first transition, a series of major projects - including a communication network linking state and locals officials in a crisis, a system to scan shipping containers for terrorist weapons, and a massive border-control initiative - face serious technical delays or cost overruns.

In addition, the agency is struggling in its relationship with Congress, where it answers to dozens of committees with jurisdiction over its operations - a chaotic structure that requires a large number of personnel simply to respond to lawmakers' requests. ...

The result, they say, is disarray at the federal department responsible for developing the nation's defenses against terrorism and natural disasters. With a variety of key security measures in limbo - the department has yet to implement laws requiring that maritime cargo be scanned for nuclear materials and that hazardous materials be rerouted around urban areas - the incoming Obama administration is facing what one adviser to the president-elect described as a "superhuman task."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[jeffrey678]

The Department of Homeland Security could be made self supporting by charging a security fee at the border for products or people who cross the border. That revenue could be used for security personnel, training, equipment, and infrastructure. They could afford the best to protect the US.

[ObjectiveRealist]

Makes too much sense, and doesn't cost laborers enough. Their real, neocon mission is not to protect but to impose the feeling of a need of protection.

You're right, if they intended to protect the country, that is how they would be doing it.

[jeffrey678]

Relocate the Department of Homeland Security to the top of the new World Trade Center Towers in New York City ! That should clean out the political hacks and remind them of their mission.

[newshawk14]

Almost all federal agencies and departments need to rid themselves of the incompetent Bush
political cronies, before there is any hope of a well functioning government. He has lately been
appointing them as civil servants, a practice called "burrowing", which makes it more difficult to
get rid of them. Ah Dubya, the gift that keeps on giving --- rather like genital herpes in that regard.

[Oonagh]

Disband it... it never worked... Bush's team set it up... hello.... The most it ever came up with was a set of colors. .. remember Ridge ... Red, Orange, etc.

[cautionbug]

Approximately 7 years late on that headline, but it's good to know there's something consistent in the government among all this talk of change.

[FogBelter]

First thing that is necessary is a renaming of the department. "Homeland Security"? Since when did the United States of America become the "Homeland"?

"My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring!"

Where does it say "Homeland" in that stanza? How about we dispense with the Richard Wagnerization fo the US Government and rename DHS the Department of Domestic Security? We have a precedent ... The War Department became the Department of Defense.

I hear Homeland Security and the Darth Vader theme comes to mind.

[franklin opt]

They got it from Star Trek, i.e. "the Klingon home world."

[helenwheels]

Since that administration is made up of fasc!sts, they were just emulating Ad0lf (Fatherland) H!tler.

[keepacoolhead]

When they first came up with the word HOMELAND it always seemed a kind of odd term until someone brought it to my attention that it was an attempt at the German HEIMAT that was heavily peddled by the Nazis.

Although Janet Napolitano has been appointed to it, maybe that department after closely scrutinizing it can be closed to quit wasting more tax payer money. That whole Bush/Cheney debacle was one giant waste of tax dollars and are we better off???

[Rule Of Law]

Rename it--then disband it! According to all reports we are more vulnerable to attacks now than in 2001. The only thing that works in that dept. is the spying apparatus on American Citizens!

[picard922]

This is the result of appointing a spokesman instead of providing leadership. I'd like to see this boondoggle rolled back to something way smaller and more effective.

[Northwest02]

This is a useless waste of American money. Bush broke what was working. He just didn't want to hear the messages from the agencies that were trying to shout out the alert. If we can't desolve HSD. let's at least get rid of its name. Sounds to much like Germany's 1940's Motherland.

[keepacoolhead]

It was Fatherland. Don't forget wars and war monters are usually rather patriarchal in nature. Furthermore it was supposed to resemble Heimat, a German word which has probably far more heart strings attached to it than the hollow sounding Homeland.

[Rileyb]

Way beyond the bush admin abilities. How about some low-tec take responsibility for our selves ideas. Instead of taking off our shoes and throwing away our after shave we should each be given a six inch knife with the encouragement to look out and care for others as we board the plane.

[sixx]

Replacing Chertoff is a huge step forward.

[franklin opt]

His name, when translated from Russian in a certain way, means "devil son."

[Grunty1]

Homeland Security has been in total disarray ever since its birth under Bush. The single largest waste of money for a redunant governmental organ.

[666IronMonkey666]

Reform it? He should dismantle it immediately.

[Bompa]

concur...... and take the silly color coded "alert sytem" with you. These people are all about the window dressing and keeping the sheepeople afraid so they can avoid doing anything that actually does something. Big budget... no results.

[franklin opt]

Obama should give Napolitano the go-ahead to gut this monster and start over.

[Elderlady]

Chertoff will be gone.

FEMA will bwe brought out from under this mess.

Those are (2) steps in the right direction.

[nevergiveup]

Homeland Security is the most corrupted of all federal agencies. Vasts amount of money wasted--for what? The whole department is stacked with Bush's corporate lackeys--the ones who couldn't do a real job well, but sure could f**k up the government in now time at all.

I'm sick of taking off my shoes at airports. I'm sick of being treated like a potential terrorist by my government. I am sick of the whole premise of this department--which borders on Na-Zi-like behaviors.

Homeland Security is Cheny's and Bush's and the neocon's Dream Come True--Germany comes to AmeriKA. Shut the whole thing down and build it over from scratch. And get it right this time without assuming all of us are terrorists.

[HuffingPuffing]

Yes, yes and yes. This is nothing about Security, rather an Orwellian Ministry of Fear rolled out - with alarming speed if you ask me - in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Homeland Security is a sham, a disgrace and I totally agree with you - dismantle it, fire everyone and start again. Too many ignorant people with too much power to wield. As for the shoes... we should be thankful Richard Reid didn't hide his bombs where the sun doesn't shine... now wouldn't *that* make a trip to the airport even more fun than it is today...

[Stephanie71]

I'd love to not have too look at those fake "officer" badges on TSA checkpoint people any longer when I make my way through the airport this week. And I'm sure American Airlines would like TSA to stop breaking their planes at O'Hare with their made-up security maneuvers.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/20/tsa-inspector-breaks.html

[myfatherschild]

Yes!!! My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the current administration's initiatives are a mess and a huge waste of our money. They are probably full of Bush's corporate investor pals.

[Midnightrain]

You got the headline right this time, Huffpo!