July 09, 2005

Due Care? Unspent Funds for MTA Security

The NYC public transport network has failed to implement anti-terror security recommendations from a 2002 threat assessment, according to the New York Times. Until July 7, there might be a few clueless hermits who might argue that a bomb attack on underground transit facilities might be "unforeseeable." They would have to ignore a 1994 Manhattan subway firebomb, a 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo, and a 1997 attempt to bomb the NYC subway. After the London bombings on July 7, even the clueless should wake up and smell the C-4.

According to "M.T.A. Slow to Spend Money on Transit Security," (New York Times, July 8, 2005. page one), the failure of the MTA to even spend the $600 million recommended almost 3 years ago is due to a combination of technical problems, management glitches and inter-departmental issues. Much the same as the issues that left the occupants, police and firefighters in the World Trade Towers vulnerable before and after the initial crashes on 9/11.

The article quotes Senator Charles E. Schumer about progress on spending the money already available, Sen. Schumer said, "They've done a poor job spending their capital money. I understand they have long and elaborate procedures, but when it comes to homeland security we ought to speed things up a little bit."

M.T.A. Slow to Spend Money on Transit Security - New York Times

Posted by dougsimpson at July 9, 2005 06:55 AM