July 26, 2007 5:17 PM
Target: Iowa
So, of all these United States of America that terrorists could target, do you think Iowa is in the "top ten?"
One presidential candidate does.
And, as he told us in the Hawkeye State today:
"It's not just because of the primary, if that's what you're hinting at."
So who is it?
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was in the suburb of Pleasant Hill on Thursday for a low-key meeting with local police and firefighter union members.
He listened as some of Iowa's first-responders complained about the way federal homeland security dollars are dished out, especially considering the busy I-35/I-80 corridors and the state's crucial role in the nation's food supply.
Richardson said federal homeland security funds -- for equipment, new computers and communications systems that make law enforcement agencies "interoperable" -- should be decided based on risks, not politics.
Then he told the officers and firefighters they had made a "compelling" case that Iowa deserves to be considered a higher priority risk.
In terms of risk, we asked Richardson how high Iowa would rank among the 50 states. He said:
"It's not just northeast cities. It's not just west coast, but the Heartland, also, America's food supply and the transportation corridors (that are at risk). So I'd put it in the top ten and I'd treat it like that."
We pressed him a bit, asking what Iowa has that states like Nebraska, Indiana, Colorado -- or for that matter, New Hampshire or South Carolina -- do not have.
And that's when he assured us that this wasn't about politics.
So, he raises a good question.
If you were to list the top ten, most at-risk states, which ones would you put on the top?
We wonder if anyone in New Hampshire will ask Richardson where the Granite State ranks when he has a "Homeland Security Conversation" with the Salem Fire Department there on Friday. (UPDATE: Guess not.)
ANOTHER UPDATE: Here's an interesting story from the Des Moines Register's William Petroski about another interesting exchange that happened during Richardson's appearance in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, on Thursday.
July 30, 2007
3:41 PM
M.E. writes:
Personally, I'm most worried about the dollar stores.
-- The Management
July 30, 2007
2:49 PM
DSS writes:
Hey, ME, isn't the map at the head of this piece a map of Target discount stores in the DM area?
I suppose it is correct that Target stores could be a terrorist target, but considering all of the bad publicity surrounding it, it is my strategic assessment that Wal-Mart stores would be hit first. That truly creates a problem for Iowans because there are far more Wal-Mart locations than Target locations in the state.
Plus, many rural Wal-Mart targets in Iowa stock weapons and ammunition. And cell phones for terrorists' communications.
Obviously, Bill Richardson is not simply playing politics here. He is on to something.
July 27, 2007
1:21 PM
Rodney Cupp writes:
Richardson didn't exactly assure us that his offer of increased Federal aid to Iowa isn't about politics.
Richardson said, "It's not just because of the primary," which leaves open the possibility that Richardson's security ranking for Iowa is at least in part because of the primary. (He did include the word "just," and I assume that he did so for a reason.)
That's not necessarily a bad thing. If Chertoff's security ranking for Iowa really is too low, then Richardson is completely justified in making it a political issue.