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Newark Uses Federal Anti-terrorism Money to Buy Garbage Trucks
(Trenton, March 15, 2005) — Republicans are trashing Newark for using homeland security money to buy ten new air conditioned garbage trucks.

From the AP: The News in Photographs
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Angry GOP lawmakers are calling it a misuse of money and have asked New Jersey's Democratic Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg to denounce the practice.

A Newark city spokeswoman says the trucks have special features that would make them useful in a disaster.

The nation's Homeland Security says the money shouldn't have been used to buy trash trucks and the city might have to return the cash.

The trucks costs $1.7 million. But the spokeswoman isn't saying how much of that came from Homeland Security and from the city budget.

Acting Governor Codey and the state's congressmen have criticized the Homeland Security funding formula, saying it short changes the Garden State relative to the risk of terrorist threats.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

A Newark city spokeswoman says the trucks have special features that would make them useful in a disaster.

I'd like to see him name 2 of the "special features"

[firepimp]

Originally posted by CaptainGonzo


I'd like to see him name 2 of the "special features"

Picking up the remains and helping hide any substance or bomb maybe ????

[Bones42]

Hey! Remember that NJ is famous for it's corrupt politicians. This is pretty small on our scale.

This was on the news channels last night, the Air Conditioned cabs are one of the special features as it would allow a driver to stay in the vehicle while they were have hazardous materials loaded into the back of the truck.

Their other justification was that in case of a tornado, hurricane, or some other natural disaster, these would be needed to remove debris so emergency vehicles can traverse the roads with no problem. (Don't worry about the fact that Newark has never been hit with a tornado or hurricane).

[firenresq77]

Amazing.... I would consider that fraud......

[firepics]

Read something in today's paper that stated they really DID NOT use Homeland Security grant money, so it seems like they are out of the woods. Oh, and one of the uses of these new-fangled trucks? To use as a barricade for high security buildings(according to the mayor,as quoted in the paper)!!

WASHINGTON - Embattled Newark officials hauled out a new story yesterday to explain the purchase of 10 state-of-the-art garbage trucks with federal funds - trashing their initial boasts that Homeland Security footed the bill.

Monteilh said Newark's initial press release, which said the trucks were funded through the city budget and "Homeland Security grants," was wrong.

Edited to include the NY Post article