Abolish the DHS

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ABOLISHING THE DHS

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Abolishing the DHS

How a panicked response to 9/11 wastes billions of dollars fighting a minuscule threat.

The DHS was created to fix a problem: 9/11 
Or rather, the problems that led to 9/11: communication, coordination.[2]

1.) CIA monitored an al-Qeada planning meeting in Malaysia (2000).

But lost track of two members who made it to Bangkok.

These two terrorists made it to L.A.

And eventually flew American Airlines 77 into the Pentagon.

2.) FBI agent identified hijacked airliners as the weapon al-Qaeada would use.

Agent in Phoenix noted “Usama bin Laden” would attempt to send his men through aviation schools in the U.S.

3.) The Minneapolis FBI field office believed Zacharias Moussaoui, the accused 20th hijacker was planning the hijacking of a plane.

Yet failed to monitor him.

So the DHS was formed. So this wouldn’t happen again.
DHS=
22 agencies
70 buildings in 40 locations in DC
Reporting to 108 Congressional subcommittees and oversight panels.

Great for communication, right?

A cost benefit analysis found that for DHS spending to be worthwhile…
DHS would have to stop 4 otherwise successful car bomb attempts per day.[6]

DHS budget per year:[1]
2002–$13.03 billion
2003–$33.52 billion
2004–$36.2 billion
2005–$40.2 billion
2006–$41.1 billion
2007–$42.7 billion
2008–$46.4 billion
2009–$50.5 billion
2010–$55.11 billion
2011–$56.34 billion
2012–$56.94 billion
2013–$59.03 billion
2014–$59.96 billion

Put in Perspective:
All wheat bought in America, 2012: $7.5 billion
All Corn bought in America, 2012: $23.3 billion
DHS, 2012: $56.94 billion
All brewed beverages bought in America, 2012: $100 billion

Only 17 private American citizens died last year to terrorist attacks.
You have a greater chance of being crushed to death by your own furniture.[3]

17 deaths, vs:
1 million heart disease and cancer deaths
30,000 Gun deaths since Newtown [11/12/13]
And 40,000 suicides.

Is our second largest government agency worth it?

Budgeting without regard for population density, critical infrastructure, or risk assessments creates even more waste.[2]

1.) California: An urban fusion center acquired 55 large screen t.v.’s for training. They forgot to purchase training software. On the day inspectors visited, all 55 t.v.’s were on the same channel.
Price: $74,394
2.) Miami:Commander of Coast Guard District Seven has his stylish 6,200 sq. ft. home leased by tax payers.
Price: $111,600 in lease payments yearly
3.) Mason County Washington: Purchased a hazardous decontamination unit even though they have no hazmat team.
Price:$63,000
4.) Whitetail, Montana: Population 71, received a massive border checkpoint upgrade.
Price: $15,000,000
5.) Westhope, North Dakota: A border checkpoint serving an average of 73 people a day received a massive upgrade.
Price: $15,000,000
6.) Laredo, TX: Border checkpoint serving 55,000 daily and processing $116 billion in goods is nations highest priority. Receives no money.
Price: $0.00
7.) Tanzania: The U.S. Secret Service spent more than the entire country’s economic output for the week the first family was visiting.[8]
Price: $100,000,000
8.) Nationwide: To ensure the original 5 anthrax deaths don’t happen again, automated DNA-testing air sniffers were installed in many public buildings. Allowing testing of air 36 hours later. [9]
Price: $5,700,000,000

“If power companies invested in infrastructure the way DHS and Congress fight terrorism, a New Yorker wouldn’t be able to run a hair dryer, but everyone in Bozeman, Mont., could light up a stadium” ~ Economist Veronique de Rugy[8]

And eroding personal liberties:[7]

Warrantless Wiretapping
National Security Entry/Exit Registration System
the Real ID act
No Fly Lists
Monitoring of peaceful groups
Attacks on Academic freedoms
TSA searches
Domestic Drones
Militarization of the Police

Don’t let an overblown fear support a wasteful police state. Abolish the DHS.

Citations:

1. https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-budget
2. http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/PA683.pdf
3. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/americans-are-as-likely-to-be-killed-by-their-own-furniture-as-by-terrorism/258156/
4. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html
5. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
6. http://politicalscience.osu.edu/faculty/jmueller//MID11TSM.PDF
7. http://www.civilfreedoms.org/?p=7260
8. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-15/the-case-for-abolishing-the-dhs
9. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-21/the-sky-high-price-of-sniffing-out-anthrax