Feds hired ax men (Homeland Security funding cuts)

[brooklynite]

WASHINGTON - The federal bean counters who shortchanged New York's anti-terrorism funding had expert help: They outsourced major parts of the job to a consultant.

Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary George Foresman, who was grilled yesterday on Capitol Hill for cutting funds to New York and Washington by 40%, admitted the firm Booz Allen Hamilton was the "administrative backbone" of the work.

"I don't know why DHS needed to outsource getting it wrong when normally they do such an excellent job of getting it wrong on their own," sniped Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan).

In the hearing, Maloney suggested Booz Allen did far more than administrative work. She asked whether it was the firm's reviewers who gave New York anti-terror efforts failing marks and passed them to homeland security officials for a rubber stamp. Foresman denied that.

But sources told the Daily News that not only did the firm keep the process moving, it determined the methods and criteria the DHS reviewers were to use and pushed panelists to agree on scores.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/427050p-360201c.html

[Beetwasher]

1. Cowards

n/t

[woodsprite]

2. Guess I need coffee....

'cause I had to do a double take. I read it as "Undersecretary George Foreman got grilled..." and I thought it was a joke. I guess I should wake up more before I start my morning reading.