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Obama keeps pledge with money for COPS
TweetDuring last year’s presidential campaign, the Democratic Party nominee for vice president, Joe Biden, came to the Mahoning Valley and promised that with Barack Obama in the White House, cities like Youngstown would get help from Washington to fight crime.
On Tuesday, the campaign promise was kept — and it isn’t just Youngstown, in the Mahoning Valley, that is the beneficiary of the administration’s largess. Warren, Niles, Girard, Newton Falls and East Liverpool are also sharing in the $27 million-plus that has been earmarked for the state of Ohio.
And before the critics of the Obama administration and the Democratic controlled Congress get on their political high horses and criticize the funding as inadequate, consider this: At the beginning of 2008, then Republican President George W. Bush slashed $1 billion from programs that support law enforcement efforts. Bush proposed consolidating 70 state and local law enforcement assistance programs into four grant programs.
Under consolidation, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) initiative and the Bryne Justice Assistance Grants were to be eliminated.
Fortunately, Obama won the election — and working with Congress reinstated the crime-fighting programs.
Thus, when the lawyer representing police officers in Warren says the $605,331 allocation is “terribly disappointing,” we wonder how he reacted last year when local law enforcement took a big hit from the Bush White House.
If Randall Weltman doesn’t think that Warren’s ability to bring back three police officers from layoff is an important development — considering the alternative — we have to wonder how realistically he’s looking at things.
Of course it would have been great had the city been able to secure enough money from Washington to bring back all 21 officers who were laid off because of Warren’s dire economic condition.
The losers
But it would be foolhardy to think that a small city could grab a significant piece of the $1 billion pie when major cities like New York, Houston, Seattle and Pittsburgh are locked out.
We aren’t willing to look a gift horse in the mouth and, therefore, applaud the Obama administration for not ignoring the Mahoning Valley.
Youngstown will receive $1.8 million from the Federal Recovery Act Grant Program for Law Enforcement; Niles, $468,382; Girard, $229,428; Newton Falls, $195.090; and, East Liverpool, $179,803.
The money is meant to pay the salaries and benefits of a specific number of officers in each department for three years. The cities are expected to retain the grant-funded positions in the fourth year.
“A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities — making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now,” said Vice President Biden in announcing the COPS funding. “And we can’t achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe.”
It is now up to the police departments to ensure that the officers funded through the program are assigned to street patrols so their presence in high-crime areas will be felt.
The $1 billion for COPS nationally is only a portion of the $4 billion in the Recovery Act (the economic stimulus package) for the Department of Justice to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts, including hiring of new police officers, combatting violence against women, and fighting Internet crimes against children.
Grants have already been awarded to states and local communities through those programs.
The administration and Congress — no Republicans voted for the $787 billion stimulus package in the House and just three in the Senate — are to be commended for recognizing the important role law enforcement plays in the life of a community.
Comments
I can't wait to read posts on this board that spin Federal funding for local law enforcement is socialism and how this is part of the Obama plan to ruin America.
As usual your taking a wrong turn. Most likely more of a gift to quite the story that hit the headlines after on national TV about cops and racial profiling.
So if it came before the remark a hard point to argue, after all even people like me want safer communities.
After the remark, kinda simple to say another trying to throw money at a problem in a temporary way for what a week, month, six months, a year? Another Obama band-aid? Or better yet one week he is slapping a cop in the face on TV the next week wants to have a beer with him, and the next week tossing billions at it.
So I guess his answer is beer and money, to offset his personal racism, so read on Cambridge.
Great spin. 5 stars.
The Vindicator just like Ofailure keep taking shots at President Bush and the republicans. I realize this is the editorial page and this is an opinion piece, but unfortunately the Vindicator doesn't have the discipline to not let their bias affect their reporting. The people even in this area are finally wising up, and the Vindicator is really going to step up their attacks on republicans to help Ofailure and the democrats in 2010.
Poor spin. 1 star.
andersonathan has a commanding lead.
Cambridge you are the biggest A**. You have to be the most egotistical moron alive. I would hate to have to be the people around you. On another post saddad complained about nonsocialist always having an opinion and not having a life, you must love to see your posts because this is all you do. What makes you think you're so special? You like to brag about your being sarcastic, do you really believe your contributing something useful to these discussions or just being a sarcastic A**? No one likes a know it all, do you ever listen to others or you too wrapped in your love affair with your self? I used to like to partake in these discussions, but idiots like you take the fun right out of it. Once again I ask you this question, what is a liberal? Be specific.
That's a no spin. Not relevent to the article. 0 stars.
andersonathan still has the lead.
The COPS program has been one thing that Biden has promoted for several years. He even got the money he was asking for when some Presidents wanted to cut money out of it. Its a good program for cities and towns who need the money. Biden is probably the only reason that the COPS Program didn't get cut by Obama because as you can see Obamanation doesn't respect authority unless its his.
Decent finish after a slow start, 2 stars.
andersonathan still leads.
the money was already to be given before the incident so get your facts straight. ofailure? wow its amazing people say he messed this country up in 6 months yet bush was perfect in his 8 years. that amazes me people truly believe bush did no wrong yet all these issues were formed in those 8 years.
Facts don't count. 0 stars.
andersonathan in the lead.
cambridge im in the Obama camp
This sounds ODDLY familiar to what happened here in Columbus.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/2...
We "created" 25 police jobs with the stimulus and now are going to lose 324 police jobs along with those new officers. What a success!!!!
woolyd....contest rules clearly state that even though Obama is doing a good thing the object is to argue that it's socialism and his goal is to ruin America. Your use of truth and facts is a clear violation of the rules, Sorry but 0 stars.
Search....very weak, especially by your standards. 1 star.
andersonathan still way ahead.
Cambridge,
Sorry my comment cannot live up to the standards your ad hominem arguments have set.
O by the way, federal funding for local government isn't socialism. Granted, it still is not constitutional and completely defeats a federal system when the federal level is controling the state and local through funding. Therefore, it still is a move toward centralized government.
Sorry I forgot to make that claim in my previous comment, I know you were anticipating it.
Fair spin. 3 stars.
andersonathan has no challengers.
For the twelfth time, short memories:
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/grants/g5098...
The Vindy should get the Gooberhead Award. That's when one writes editorial pieces without reviewing history.
im sorry about that
Good digging Tugboat
Tugboat offers documents from 11 years ago. 0 stars.
andersonathan maintains the lead.
Merely assigning officers to street patrols does not fulfill the original purpose of such funding. And, if you can believe this, some feel that if it so desired, a federal government that keeps footing the bill for cops could only be a goose step or two away from heading down the road towards a police state.
"Community policing is both a philosophy (a way of thinking) and an organizational strategy (a way to carry out the philosophy) that allows the police and the community to work closely togetin creative ways to solve the problems of crime, illicit drugs, fear of crime, physical and social disorder (from graffiti to addiction), neighborhood decay, and the overall quality of life in the community. The philosophy rests on the belief that people deserve input into the police process, in exchange for their participation and support. It also rests on the belief that solutions to today's community problems demand freeing both people and the police to explore creative, new ways to address neighborhood concerns beyond a narrow focus on individual crime incidents."
"The cities are expected to retain the grant-funded positions in the fourth year."
Good luck there!
Goose step comment an excellent spin. 4 stars.
andersonathan has narrow lead.
World class spin by ProMerkin. 5 stars.
hope makes fun of participant. 0 stars.
We have a contest. andersonathan and Promerkin are tied with 5 stars. In the event of a tie the Grand Prize Whiner will be determined by the judge.
Is that the kind of hate you let out when you call for the execution of the former president and vice president, or a different hate?
I am just curious you hypocritical, ignorant, irrational, smelly, uninformed, media watching, slow firing, laughable person you.
Now that is some hate right there.
Extremely entertaining comment from the Good Doctor but absent of any spin related to the original opinion. 0 points.
ProMerkin steps up with quantity and quality.
Contest remains tied by andersonathan and ProMerkin.
"The Bamster wants to give you a pain pill and end of life counseling. "
O God, what's next Cash-for-Croakers?
I can only imagine Obama saying that it will save the country money and provide stimulus if we let old people just die instead of providing real medical care. Then they'll cite the "success" of Cash for Clunkers and give money to families of people who decide to just die.
I don't think cambridge feels lied to, he actually believes in that crap. Cambridge is caught up in the same ideology as Obama so of course he doesn't care what Obama actually says, he believes in everything that is being done.
He isn't blinded, he knows and believes in it. Perhaps we have been the ones blinded for so long to believe to think that a lot of these people believe in the principles which our country was founded upon. They don't believe in those principles, they believe in the crap that is coming out of europe.
ProMerkin is relentless. 5 stars.
Search rambles and rambles. 3 stars.
Contest remains tied by andersonathan and ProMerkin.
again another article another claim by a few that republicans are perfect. its amazing they have never made a mistake in the history of their political party. nixon perfect, bush perfect, reagan perfect, south carolina governor perfect. simply amazing
Vindy moves opinion from "how we see it" to the "most commented" and ends the contest.
ProMerkin and andersonathan are tied with 5 stars apiece but ProMerkin stepped up his game, always willing to stoop to new lows it was really no contest.
Promerkin wins the Grand Prize Whiner title.
For your prize you are awarded hunting trip with Sarah McScary in the Alaska wilderness to shoot wolves from a helicopter. From previous comments we know your adversity to seat belts so feel free to go belt less when your hanging out of that helicopter.
Before your trip you must take a gun safety course taught by Dick Cheney. Targets with the likeness of your choice will be provided. Choose from Ted Kennedy, Obama, Nancy Pelosi, a union member or anyone else you would like to take a shot at.
Congratulations and have a nice trip.
Here I voted for Barack Obama thinking he was just another democrat...
Turns out he's a SOCIALIST, FASCIST, COMMUNIST, NAZI, GOD HATING, BABY KILLING, WELFARE PUSHING, SOCIALIST, UNION LOVING, UNION BUSTING, RACIST, TERRORIST SUPPORTING , PEACE LOVING, FRENCH INDONESIAN KENYAN MUSLIM SOCIALIST ATHEIST ENEMY COMBATANT WHO DOESN'T SALUTE THE FLAG!
Thanks for the info ProMerkin! The republic would hang by a thread without your wisdom to steer us!
After reading all the garbage from both sides enough if everything obama does is wrong fine what would you doto fix it it's easy to hate if your employed getting insurance probaly at nocost yo you, the article from columbus says heres help but now you have to fix your problems the same as all cities so tell us how to fix it
the judge will be all of us just tell us how YOU would fix it
Youngstown will receive $1.8 million from the Federal Recovery Act Grant Program for Law Enforcement; and Jay Obama Williams will still under fund the police department and say layoffs are necessary. BTW isn't there a safety forces tax in place that really should be recended since Jay wants to layoff the police?
Booo Hooo. THe bush administrations did this and that....waaaa waaa...Wake up...be a man....The Money and promise Don Obama gave ohio is a bribe for continued support and future votes....he could care less for your safety or your childrens. The poor cops are going to have their work cut out for them as the money will be gone through fast sinsce this administrations twisted policies will create more job loss and therefore the potential for more crime.And that genious calls the police STUPID?....Racial?.....So much for the GREAT unifier!!!! These brave cops risk there lives everyday.....with little praise. The only thing important to his highness is HImself.....