Ben McCullough for State Representative

Ensuring Our Security

A vital part of our future is to secure the American dream.

Too many brave men and women have served and paid the ultimate price for us to be ignorant of this truth. But when we secure our region, state and nation, we must never let the liberties we fight for to be infringed upon. This is a critical balance, and at times it is difficult to navigate it. Make no mistake - the safeguarding of freedom is a value very close to my heart, and I will do my best to make certain our way of life will be forever maintained.

Homeland security is an essential part in the war against terrorism. It is very important to have a strong home front to prevent any attack that threatens our liberty. Yet the changes which have been implemented thus far are not good enough. In some respects America has become a less safer place than we are being led to believe. One thing that may people find particularly concerning is that Federal and State governments have failed to protect emergency responders. The 2005 fiscal year budget made major cuts in first-responder grant funding at the Department of Homeland Security, reducing funding for firefighters by 33% from the fiscal year 2000 level.

The federal government has also cut funding for the COPS program by 90% of its congressionally authorized level, putting fewer police offices into communities. Our government has also failed of respond to rail and transit security threats and refused to fund the U.S. Customs Service Container Security initiative to inspect cargo containers arriving in the nation’s ports. As of right now security at the nation’s ports are severely under funded, and more than half of all ships have not been inspected.

I refuse to follow in this path. Many actions can be taken at the state level to protect all of us from a possible terrorist attack or disaster. First, I will advocate for creating and maintaining a comprehensive network of contacts for all municipal, county, state, and federal agencies that collectively make up a state’s Homeland Security First Responders community. This plan will put all information into one place, for easy access and quick response.

Moreover, it is proven that effective efforts to protect residents, workers, and visitors begin with the development of a comprehensive plan that realistically reflects the current state of readiness and builds on existing infrastructure. It is worth it to invest in critical analysis of our preparation and response efforts, and to methodically train the next generation of security personnel.

Next, while most states and cities still largely rely on contingency planning, it is in our interest to develop a comprehensive plan that identifies potential threats, articulates a coordinated strategy to confront those threats, and identifies budgetary and other funding requirements to support the strategy. Beyond looking to the proven basics, such as pushing people in different government agencies to talk with each other about shared responsibilities, the policymakers you elect should consider the potential of technology to modernize information sharing and voice communications. The potential benefits of technology are especially promising for linking the independent radio voice and wireless data systems currently in use by federal, state, county, local, and private entities. Policymakers should begin by “wiring the responders” so that first responders from different agencies and jurisdictions can talk to each other and share information as easily as U.S. troops can in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Policymakers should also collaborate to link public safety information and communication systems with those of other critical government systems (such as those that support transportation, social services, and public utility – related activities). Adopting technology to link wireless voice and data systems will not only help detect, prevent, and respond, to terrorism, but also promise to detect and proactively combat everyday crime and public health threats as well.

As you can see, there are many things we can do to secure our borders and the land within them, while maintaining the liberties of you and I at home. We need not create a police state to fight the war on terror. If we do, we can say in a sense that the terrorists will have won. But there are strategic methods that neither infringe on personal rights nor are difficult to implement. I can ensure you that our safeguarding of the American dream is my prerequisite for what can take us farther.