SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION FALLING SHORT OF MEETING LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY NEEDS -- RELEASES SUBURBAN 9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT HOMETOWN SECURITY SURVEY

December 12, 2003

DECEMBER 12, 2003

SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION FALLING SHORT OF MEETING LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY NEEDS

RELEASES SUBURBAN 9TH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT HOMETOWN SECURITY SURVEY

EVANSTON, IL - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today said that the Bush Administration is falling short of providing the needed homeland security funds, resources and guidance to local communities.

"Our mayors, city managers, police and fire chiefs are doing all they can to protect and prepare our communities against possible terrorist attacks, but in many instances they are doing their jobs without much financial assistance or guidance from the federal government," Schakowsky said

Schakowsky added, "Local officials are spending precious funds and limited resources to cover overtime pay; to purchase protective gear for their first responders; to train against a chemical or a biological attack; or to secure water and other critical facilities."

The Hometown Security Survey for Suburban 9th Congressional District released by Schakowsky, where 24 local officials from Des Plaines; Evanston; Glenview; Lincolnwood; Maine Township; Morton Grove; Niles; Norridge; Park Ridge; Rosemont; Skokie responded, found that:

Overwhelming number of municipalities have spent their own monies on homeland security (20 out of 24 respondents or 83%)
Overwhelming number of municipalities in the 9th CD do not have enough dollars for homeland security (17 out of 24 respondents or 71%)
Majority of respondents believe that their homeland security needs will be greater in the future (14 out of 24 respondents or 58%)
Half of the respondents (12 out of 24 or 50%) said that they have not been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security
Top homeland security needs are communications technology, training and protective gear.

Schakowsky said, "If we want to assure our constituents that they are safer today than they were before 9/11, it is time for the President and the Republican Congress to join us in making hometown security a priority. Until the President is willing to make that commitment, his pronouncement that '.America is more secure' is premature."

Schakowsky called on the White House to support H.R. 3158, a Democratic proposal to addresses many of the problems the federal government has in assessing and filling local needs. H.R. 3158, or the "Preparing America to Respond Effectively" (PREPARE) Act, would create a process for State and local responders to identify their needs for essential terrorism preparedness capabilities, so that front-line workers in any jurisdiction can determine what they have, what they need, and how much it will cost to meet their needs. The PREPARE Act would also begin to address the problem of providing interoperable communications equipment for emergency responders, which the respondents to the 9th Congressional District survey identified as their number one need.