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Barta is that their current radio system- also shared by the Topeka police and fire departments- at 14-years-old is outdated.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