Homeland Security: A Costly Mess

By Cindy Williams, MIT Center for International Studies
Posted on May 9, 2007, Printed on May 9, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/51571/

In January 2003, the Bush administration drew 22 disparate agencies and some 170,000 employees into a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Proponents of the reorganization hoped a single department under a single cabinet secretary would foster unity of effort across a substantial portion of the federal activities related to domestic security.

A key tool would be the department's budget. With all the agencies beholden to him for their money, the secretary could promote and reward much-needed integration across the department. He could wield the budget tool to expand high priority activities, eliminate or defer the less important or redundant ones, and reallocate the workforce to fill gaps in high-risk areas.