Wednesday, February 23, 2011

MetroRegion KC News: Expensive New Public Safety Radio System Request for Topeka- No Mention of Unfunded Federal Mandate



Today- I read yet another story of a MetroRegion governmental agency requesting many millions of dollars for a new public safety radio system...




According to the TOPEKA (KS) CAPITAL-JOURNAL- Shawnee County KS Sheriff Dick Barta is requesting more than $19-million for a new radio system "upgrade."


One excuse offered by Sheriff Barta is that their current radio system- also shared by the Topeka police and fire departments- at 14-years-old is outdated.


Kansas City MO approved around $40-million for a new radio system a few years ago.




Before the 1990's- many agencies were still using radio systems that were more than 25-years old that- 99% of the time- worked reliably.




Nowhere in the TC-J story is it mentioned that the new radio system is NECESSARY- because of an unfunded Federal mandate for all public safety agencies in America change over to a new- "narrow-band" radio system by 2013.




No matter that many governmental entities are running deficits in their budgets already- they can cut more dollars from programs and agencies that directly benefit already Recession (depression)-strapped taxpayers and/or raise the taxes some more. 

_________

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well upgrading is nice but right now isn't the time to mandate such a change. This program needs to be extended if at all possible.

Oh wait I'm sorry I am trying to use some common sense here. I will not keep you here in longer doing so.

Groucho K. Marx said...

Did you ever hear about a proposed Federal "Department of Logic" Superdave?

They couldn't find anybody to staff it...

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