Security, Bitchez!

Or not.

House and Senate Republican leaders stripped $4.5 billion in funds for mass transit security from homeland security legislation, then forced a quick vote on the streamlined bill last month -- leading angry Democrats to accuse Congress of reneging on a promise to protect the nation's commuters from terrorist attacks.

…President Bush was expected to sign the bill into law.

As a result, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and other mass transit systems across the country will not get security upgrades such as new surveillance cameras, more canine patrols, and subway tunnel protection systems, as well as millions in overtime pay for transit police. The appropriation also would have paid for emergency response drills, tunnel evacuation system improvements, transit security research grants, and public awareness campaigns.

This at a time when Americans should be encouraged to use mass transit systems as much as possible to reduce emissions and our dependency on foreign oil. Our environment and our foreign policy would benefit from more mass transit throughout the country, but that’s a hard sell to commuters when the government has no interest in keeping them safe.

(Hat tip to Oddjob.)