https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Safety


Bush Raises The Ante

Bush Raises The Ante

We've got to focus our priorities. We've got to set clear goals. If cultures need to be changed within agencies, we'll change the cultures, because this
  • Written by Paul Rothman
  • 1st July 2002

“We’ve got to focus our priorities. We’ve got to set clear goals. If cultures need to be changed within agencies, we’ll change the cultures, because this new war requires a 100 percent focused effort to protect the Homeland.”
— Bush’s June 24 remarks to border-control workers in Port Elizabeth, N.J.

In creating a Department of Homeland Security, President Bush advocates a cohesive, Cabinet-level conglomerate that would be answerable to Congress. As lawmakers wrestle over the details of the mammoth agency that would combine as many as 21 government agencies, the goal is to have the department in place by the end of the year.

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security would empower a single Cabinet official whose primary mission is to protect the American homeland from terrorism. The department’s proposed organizational structure would have divisions focused on

  • border and transportation security;
  • emergency preparedness and response;
  • information analysis and infrastructure protection;
  • protection from chemical and biological threats; and
  • natural disaster response and preparedness.

“Since day one, the primary mission of the Office of Homeland Security has been to develop a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist attacks and threats,” Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said in a June 10 speech to the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation. “This proposal [of a Cabinet-level department] is the centerpiece of that national strategy. It gives us the structure that we need.”

As recently as May 30, Ridge himself had said he would not support such a plan of reorganization. President Bush also seemed reluctant. Before Bush’s announcement, several restructuring plans were floated.

Throughout April, the Bush administration vowed to pour $5-10 billion in funding for Homeland defense. A Brookings Institution study criticized Bush for “focusing too narrowly on preventing recurrences of the terrorist airliner crashes and anthrax mailings.” The study goes on to recommend “taking more domestic steps to prevent those attacks in the first place.”

The proposed department would draw heavily on the private sector for technology solutions to Homeland security needs. “The government can leverage existing information and new technology solutions to help win the war on terrorism,” says S. Daniel Johnson, executive vice president of public services at KPMG Consulting Inc.

Daniel P. Burnham, CEO of Raytheon Co., a major defense contractor, said: “A natural migration of our defense capabilities [is to] contribute to the safety and security of people and communities,” in a March address to the National Press Club.

Ridge said that the President’s reform “touches nearly every Cabinet department and will affect nearly 170,000 federal employees.”

“A national strategy, by implication, means we have to work and do a better job not just in our federal agencies, but we have to tie ourselves together with state and local government and the private sector as well,” Ridge said.

Bush’s announcement set several agencies into motion with the task of assessing the requirements of the new department. According to Comptroller General David Walker of the General Accounting Office (GAO), establishing the Department of Homeland Security will be a daunting task that should cost much more than the $37-plus billion Bush has allotted.

“There is likely to be considerable benefit over time from restructuring some of the Homeland security functions, including reducing risk and improving the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of these consolidated agencies and programs,” he said in a report to Congress. “In the short term, however, the new department will clearly require additional resources to make it fully effective. Implementation of the new department will be an extremely complex task and will ultimately take years to achieve.”

Tags: Public Safety

Most Recent


  • City advocacy organizations applaud establishment of White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
    Every day, an average of 327 people in the United States are shot and 117 are killed, according to the gun violence advocacy organization Brady. Gun violence is an epidemic that has affected every city, county and region in the nation. Municipal and county administrators often find themselves on the frontlines, responding to tragedies and […]
  • Report: Modern construction techniques, building codes protected structures that survived Lahaina fire
    More than a month after wildfire ripped through the historic community of Lahaina, Hawaii, emergency responders continue working to get a more comprehensive picture of what triggered the tragedy. The death toll remains at 115 people. A recent report from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety’s research division unpacks why the fire was […]
  • asthma
    The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023
    September is Asthma Peak Month thanks to ragweed pollen peaking, higher mold counts, the start of cold and flu season, and kids headed back to school. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has released its 2023 Asthma Capitals report, which analyses data from the 100 most populated cities and reveals the most challenging […]
  • Searchable mapping tool shows local, county heat-related injury EMS activation data
    Twenty-twenty-three has been a record year for temperatures globally—and they’re expected to continue to rise into the foreseeable future. From cooling infrastructure to policy changes that accomidate workers, cities and counties across the United States are adapting to this new norm. A new tool from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Preventing cyber-attacks needs to be a priority for local governments
  • Building community and officer wellness through data sharing
  • California city combines advanced technology with dedicated public safety team for comprehensive emergency management

White papers


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.