Should Homeland Security be shut down?

[cynatnite]

I wondered after reading this article:

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has missed dozens of deadlines set by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks for developing ways to protect airplanes, ships and railways from terrorists.

A plan to defend ships and ports from attack is six months overdue. Rules to protect air cargo from infiltration by terrorists are two months late. A study on the cost of giving anti-terrorism training to federal law enforcement officers who fly commercially was supposed to be done more than three years ago.

"The incompetence that we recently saw with FEMA's leadership appears to exist throughout the Homeland Security Department," said Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "Our nation is still vulnerable."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051030/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/security_deadlines

Please explain your reasoning.

[DemInDistress]

1. Yes starting November 1 2001

We wasted billions with what results? None that I seen so far.

[SammyBlue]

5. We had that neat color system a five year old could come up with.

You know:

Green: Breathe Easy, but not too easy because there are brown people around.
Yellow: Avoid foreign-looking Brown people
Whatever color is here: Report Brown looking people to police
Orange: Start a militia group and bomb some brown people
Red: Panic and let Xenophobiac murder control you as you kill brown people

[Birthmark]

2. Shut it down

It's ineffective, unnecessary, and unhealthy. I can probably make a pretty good case for it being unConstitutional, too, but that smacks of effort.

[Fovea]

3. Worse than useless,

It has diverted funds from far more clear and present dangers.

[FloridaPat]

4. I think congress and the WH should be shut down. Get some people

in there that are real Americans and care about everyone in the country, not just the corporate ones and the rich. I have never been so disgusted with our government as in the last 5 years. Those idiots just passed the Patriot Act - again! Are they listening to anyone? Maybe the figure the Patriot Act will protect them from us!

Another thing - 5 states have law that protect employees. 5! The middle class is just a trough for the gov't and the rich to take money out of our pockets. Time for some changes.

[tahoedenver]

6. Homeland Security: Perfect Example of Bloated Government and Tax Waste

This department is just another example of how Uncle Sam wants to waste your money. What the hell is Homeland Security for? Nothing. It does nothing except add a bureaucratic infrastructure for further neoconservative fascist incursion into our privacy and onto our civil rights.

[The Flaming Red Head]

7. A lot of high dollar caterers would probably have to shut down

and who else can afford the gas for those SUVs. You're going to ruin all their fun and we forgot about the resort hotels and all the business they give them. Hey these guys are performing a needed function by helping to sustain the luxury goods and services in the US economy.