Troll, Bush has been pushing all kinds of responsibilities onto the states and localities--responsibilities that are mandated to the Federal Government by the Constitution. He has made the states and cities responsible for the major portion of "homeland security" (which obviously comes under the heading of "National Defense"), but hasn't provided any funding, as he promised he would. Then, on top of that, with the local police and fire departments ("First Response") having to shoulder the vast majority of the burden, he mans his pet war by decimating these departments with military reserve call-ups. Not only has our "First Response" protection against terrorism not received any funding, it is being rendered severely short-handed.

We are going to be paying for this war for a long time. A long time. And not just with money, either.

Don Firth