Queen City Insecurity
Let’s start with the obvious, which in this case would be yet another possible security breach at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. This time around it involved a Nov. 1 incident of a US Airways employee “accessing airport premises by not using proper protocol,” in the vicinity of an allegedly secure baggage area.
The employee has been suspended while the TSA investigates. This comes on the heels of a string of previous security breaches at CLT-Douglas, the most publicized and scrutinized being the case of 16-year-old Delvonte Tisdale, who last November stowed away in the wheel well of a US Airways plane at Charlotte-Douglas and subsequently fell to his death from the plane as it was landing in Boston.
Four months later, in March, two separate incidents within the span of a few days saw unidentified persons again breach airport security, penetrating its supposedly secure perimeter to steal power tools and diesel fuel. Three months after those incidents, a US Airways employee snuck onto a Tampa-to-Charlotte flight and was able to avoid detection and board a flight to Pittsburgh.
And let’s not forget the colossal screw-up and failure in basic intelligence that initially awarded one of three lucrative airport taxicab contracts to a company run by convicted felons who had served time in federal prison for buying fake driver’s licenses.
Now put all of that into context with the DNC 2012 flying into town next year, bringing with it a whole host of security risks and potential hazards, and then consider this: the $55 million in federal grant money for DNC security, which city leaders assured was tagged and bagged, suddenly is in limbo.
U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., has been pushing for the funds on Charlotte’s behalf. He said local officials have a right to be concerned considering the ongoing uncertainty about when and how much of the anticipated funds will be given to convention hosts.
…
Lawmakers have put a $4 million placeholder in a House appropriations bill for the security funds that will cover grants to local law enforcement for convention costs.
Members of Congress are currently negotiating the security funding as part of an upcoming spending bill.
Its status could be resolved by next week, but it’s unclear how much will ultimately be given to the two convention cities, said Ryan Nickel, a spokesman for Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee.
The host city for the GOP convention is Tampa, which is also slated to receive $55M from the feds, but where Mayor Bob Buckhorn is now sweating the funds.
“We’re hoping the federal government will get moving and get moving quickly on it,” said Buckhorn. “I don’t have $55 million laying around.”
Neither does Charlotte. But that hasn’t prevented our esteemed city leaders to already begin spending money they don’t have. Recall that back in August, the city council approved a nearly $600,000 contract to upfit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Command Center in preparation for and related to DNC 2012 safety and security issues.
Not to worry, local taxpayers were assured, the overhaul of CMPD’s digs was “included in the estimated $50 Million DNC Security Grant Fund,” and police would file “for reimbursement through the grant process outlined by the Bureau of Justice Administration for DNC-related security expenses.”
Super. So no problems there with the cost falling back on local taxpayers. Right? Just like the assurances that union labor wouldn’t hijack local jobs linked to DNC 2012. Right?
You bet. Just like Mayor Anthony Foxx is responsible for luring hundreds of new businesses to Charlotte during his tenure at helm.
Super.
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