some of the dodgier requests from North Texas cities. It starts on page 293, and my short list here is just a taste of the absurdity.Check out the list of other stimulus projects proposed by Texas cities. As I've mentioned before, while criminal justice spending is surely important, it has little to do with economic stimulus.
- Frisco wants $125,000 for an armored vehicle and $200,000 for a mobile command vehicle. You know, for all that gang tank warfare going on up in Frisco.
- McKinney wants $5 million for SWAT toys and stuff.
- North Richland Hills wants $51,000 for volunteer patrol volunteers. Let’s throw in $10 for a dictionary so they can look up the word “volunteer.”
- Irving wants $5 million for biometric scanners, digital cameras, RFID scanners — nothing Big Brother there.
- Grand Prairie wants $1.25 million for nicer landscaping around the public safety building.
- And finally, Arlington is really gearing up for urban warfare. Arlington wants $1.6 million for SWAT toys including more equipment for those deadly but camera-friendly no-knock raids, $56,000 for military grade carbines, $625,000 for unmanned aerial surveillance drones, and $130,000 for “covert ops.”
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Stimulus and the police state
Trey Garrison examines "the U.S. Conference of Mayors wish list of all the things mayors across the country want the federal government to fund in the name of 'stimulus'” and informs us about:
You really have to wonder just what these various police departments believe might be in store for them to make such requests. Are they expecting the Zetas to storm their police stations, perhaps? Not necessary; the number of American cops on the take in border towns has to be quite significant. "Plato o plomo" has the same inference in English as it does in Espanol.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm more concerned about the 'dual uses' these 'dual use weapons' have will have in the hands of people who are rarely held accountable for their mistakes in using any weapons...so long as they're used in their Holy Jihad of a DrugWar. As I'm sure these people would agree...if they hadn't been killed in that same Jihad. Giving such 'toys' to those just itching to use them against their own citizens isn't a good idea...
"[M]ilitary grade carbines," Huh? These are the same people who will (if the Obamamama lightbringer and his ilk have their way) shortly be kicking your door in looking for your AR-15 or Ruger 10-22.
ReplyDeleteWell, if by Obamamam, you mean President Obama, I think you need to remember George W. and Dick C. They would hall your a... off to Guantanamo bay withouth any semblance of due process if they thought you were the "enemy". I have heard that the Obama administration is anti-gun, but I have not seen any indications yet that I have to start hiding anything. Of course, with the current economic climate, maybe all the requests for high tech toys and military equipment is preparation for civil unrest, should the unemployment numbers approach 20 percent and the people in the middle class become impovershed and quite pissed off.
ReplyDeleteAt a time when every level of government needs to be cutting frills, they seem to be saying, "free money! free money! new toys! new toys!"
ReplyDelete:(
Reads like Bum Steer awards.
ReplyDeleteI dont think I want to go to Arlington again, it sounds like a very dangerous place to be needing all that equipment. And yet it seemed so peaceful when I was there a year or so ago...I guess the local tourist board wont be endorsing the police department's request?
ReplyDelete"[M]ilitary grade carbines," Huh? These are the same people who will (if the Obamamama lightbringer and his ilk have their way) shortly be kicking your door in looking for your AR-15 or Ruger 10-22.
ReplyDeleteWere you born stupid, or did you just happen to get that way from being dropped on your head as a child? Obama is a SUPPORTER of the Second amendment. You Fascist right-wingers are still trying to spread the fear, huh?
The Police have always been MORE oppressive with the doctrine of the Republicans, you jerk. War on Drugs, War on Terror, War on the citizens.. All of these are REPUBLICAN doctrines.
And if you are wondering who passed the War on Citizens act, reference PATRIOT ACT..
"And finally, Arlington is really gearing up for urban warfare."
ReplyDeleteRumor has it Jerry and the girls, I mean Cowboys, plan to use the weapons on defense since they are unable to play man coverage.
:)
Wow, a police state huh? Well Grits, I must say that seems to be a bit of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteYears ago police officers were severely out gunned by gangs. Now they are able to fight back with better equipment. However gangs are becoming smarter by sending their folks into the military to gain urban warfare experience and then use that experience to attack rival gangs and police officers that interfere with their activities.
It is my personal opinion that the police being proactive in this matter may not be the worst idea. I would rather be policed by a well equipped peace officer than a well trained soldier.
I mean, look at Mexico, they use their military on their own people.
I used to live in Arlington in the mid 1990's and in a fairly nice neighborhood. A few houses down from me their was a Vietnamese family that owned a restaurant. They did not keep their money in banks, rather they kept it in their homes. They were attacked in a home invasion style robbery (by an oriental gang no less) with men with automatic weapons. Several of them were shot, I believe two died.
I believe that you think that these suburbs do not have any real gang presence.
Let me tell YOU something; YOU can be shot and killed just as fast by a bullet in Arlington, Texas as you can by a bullet in Dallas Texas.
Just for fun Grits, perhaps you should call these city's police departments and ask how many of their murders are gang related... Just for kicks.
Don't make light of the problems that these cities face just because they are smaller than the city that you live in.
Matthew