Newark Hauling Garbage With Homeland Security $$$$

Newark, NJ has used homeland security money to purchase 10 new air conditioned garbage trucks.

Newark used federal Department of Homeland Security funds to help pay for 10 top-of-the-line, air-conditioned garbage trucks — and a group of state lawmakers think that stinks. Newark unveiled its new garbage trucks last month — and boasted that the financing had partly come from "Homeland Security grants."

Republican lawmakers yesterday blasted the city for "misuse" of federal money.

"It goes to the heart of credibility," said Assemblyman Joseph Pennacchio, who noted New Jersey officials have been lobbying for more anti-terror funds.

"You can't say we're buying garbage trucks on one hand and we're not getting enough Homeland Security money on the other."

Not to mention that it's illegal to buy garbage trucks with a Homeland Security grant, says the department.

"There's an approved list of equipment that can be bought with Homeland Security funding, and garbage trucks are not on that list," said the department's spokesman, Marc Short.

New Jersey has long complained about being shortchanged in homeland security funding, yet they found the time and effort to put in for purchasing 10 new garbage trucks. If municipalities around the country engage in this sort of behavior, then those locales with real needs, including Newark, will be shortchanged and possibly unable to deal with threats when they arise.

Not only should Newark be forced to give the money back, but the state should undertake a comprehensive review to make sure that every request for homeland security funding is appropriate and necessary.