It couldn't have happened to a nicer person. --David Shove Roseville
On Sat, 4 Dec 2004, Andy Driscoll wrote: > Here�s the payoff for Kelly�s political duplicity � a (so-called) DFLer�s > support and campaign for the rightwing incumbent President. Kelly traveled > the state campaigning for Bush, only to get this news a month after the > election (punishment for Kerry�s taking Minnesota big time?): > > Andy Driscoll > Ward 2/Crocus Hill > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from > The Newswire: e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Homeland security funds cut in east metro > > Her�n M�rquez Estrada > Star Tribune > > Published December 4, 2004 > > The federal government dropped a bomb on St. Paul and Ramsey and Dakota > counties this week, withdrawing about $7 million in homeland security > funding. > > "It is an unfortunate turn of events," said Judson Freed, who oversees > emergency management and homeland security for Ramsey County. "They told us > for sure there'd be another year of funding." > > The jurisdictions learned of the decision Thursday night when the Department > of Homeland Security announced $855 million in grants for 2005 to help > cities considered at highest risk of terrorist attacks. > > "It was quite a shock," David Gisch, Dakota County's coordinator of > emergency preparedness, said Friday afternoon. "No hint, no nothing." > > While Minneapolis and Hennepin County got $5.7 million for 2005, St. Paul > and the eastern counties were shut out. > > "To say the east metro doesn't have the same risks as the west metro makes > no sense," said St. Paul Deputy Mayor Dennis Flaherty, who described the > action as "a silly bureaucratic decision that somebody made in Washington, > D.C." > > The only explanation local officials were given is that the Department of > Homeland Security was trying to spread out the grants and include areas such > as Honolulu that had not received money in the past. > > "Some of it does make sense," Freed said. But he and others said that the > decision to cut came too late in the budget process and that they planned to > ask Minnesota members of Congress for help in restoring the funds. > > Area officials said the loss of the grants won't affect county or city > operations but will slow down training and equipment purchases. > > "The homeland security efforts ... are going to go on, but we are not going > to move as quickly as we would like," Freed said Friday afternoon. > > St. Paul, Ramsey and Dakota counties got more than $7 million this year from > the federal government for urban homeland security measures. The city got > half and the counties 25 percent each. > > County officials said they were assured they would get roughly the same > amount for 2005 and budgeted accordingly, Freed said. > > Among things area officials planned to do with the money was hire people to > help address homeland security issues. The counties also were going to buy > equipment for police, fire and medical personnel. > > "We see this as an abandonment of prior commitments made by the president > and the Homeland Security Department," Victoria Reinhardt, the Ramsey County > Board chairwoman, said in a written statement. "It's a bait and switch." > > Minnesota received about $22 million in homeland security funding for urban > areas, with nearly all of the money focused on the Twin Cities, Ramsey, > Hennepin and Dakota counties, which had coordinated their efforts. > > "We're not going to let this decision impact the relationships that we have > in the public safety area," said Flaherty. > > Freed noted that St. Paul and Ramsey County are as close or closer > (geographically) to Minneapolis than some Hennepin County municipalities. > > Heron Marquez is at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > � Copyright 2004 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. > > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
