Maine’s Homeland Security Funding Cut in Half

Maine’s emergency management team has announced that it anticipates losing half its federal homeland security funding under the 2005 budget signed by President Bush last month.

According to the Associated Press, Art Cleaves, director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, says he expects to receive $11 million in funding in 2005, down from the $22 million allotted to the state in 2004. "The lesser amount of money is going to make it difficult," Cleaves told the Bangor Daily News. "All of (Maine's) homeland security spending is built around our strategic plan, and we are following that true to form."

Bruce Fitzgerald, MEMA grant coordinator, told AP the state must use the homeland security money for specific purposes, especially equipment and training. AP says that by law, MEMA must distribute 80 percent of the state's homeland security funding to local first responders.

However, AP is reporting that while Maine expects a large drop in federal security funding, the DHS budget will increase by 10 percent under the new budget. Congress is currently debating how to distribute homeland security money to the highest risk areas such as large urban centers, while still helping smaller areas prepare for a terrorist attack or other disasters.

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news/local/maine/articles/2004/11/27/homeland_security_funding_to_be_cut_in_half/