Public Matters blog

More and more folks in the security industry continue to voice their disappointment with President Obama’s 2010 budget. Following up from a previous blog, a story went out on our newswire today about port security not getting its full Congressional appropriations. As part of the SAFE Port Act of 2006, Congress approved $400 million for port security for five years (2007-2011), but in Obama’s budget only $250 was allotted to port security. When I tried to argue that the $150 million from the economic stimulus package would bring the total up to $400 million, Aaron Ellis, the spokesperson for AAPA, held fast that the stimulus money was intended for job creation and therefore restricted port security directors in how they could spend the money to improve security.

And, ports aren’t the only ones facing cuts in fiscal appropriations. I just received a press release from the Security Industry Association.

“President Obama is looking for cuts in all the wrong places,” SIA Director of Government Relations Don Erickson said. “We understand and support efforts to be fiscally responsible, but taking money away from programs that protect children in the classroom and the millions of Americans traveling on our mass transit systems or conducting business at our nations’ ports is not in any way responsible. It is a misguided step in the wrong direction.”

SIA also noted that the Transit Security Grant Program is facing similar reductions and was also only allotted $250 million, down from $388.6 from the current budget. Transit was authorized for $900 million by Congress for fiscal 2010, so they’re facing much larger reductions. The cuts to transit particularly surprised me, considering the Secretary for Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, pledged to invest in mass transit security.

SIA also stated that while Obama’s budget would keep funding for the Secure Our Schools program at the current level of $16 million, that is still less than the $50 million authorized in the School Safety Enhancements Act passed in September by the House of Representatives.

It’s quite the dilemma. While no one wants to see reductions in security initiatives, we’re also facing such an economic crisis that my guess is no one’s going to get the money they want or need. What do you think?