Tuesday, March 15, 2005
 
They Must Have Run Out of Tobacco Lawsuit Money

Newark, New Jersey, used homeland security grants to buy garbage trucks:
    Newark used federal Department of Homeland Security funds to help pay for 10 top-of-the-line, air-conditioned garbage trucks — and a group of state lawmakers think that stinks.

    Newark unveiled its new garbage trucks last month — and boasted that the financing had partly come from "Homeland Security grants."

    Republican lawmakers yesterday blasted the city for "misuse" of federal money.

    "It goes to the heart of credibility," said Assemblyman Joseph Pennacchio, who noted New Jersey officials have been lobbying for more anti-terror funds.

    "You can't say we're buying garbage trucks on one hand and we're not getting enough Homeland Security money on the other."

    Not to mention that it's illegal to buy garbage trucks with a Homeland Security grant, says the department.
To the lower governments, Federal tax dollars represent a fungible slush fund for whatever they want to buy. And there's always more, minus the Federal government's sizeable vigorish, of course.


- posted by Brian J. @ 3:50 PM
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