DHS Requests $300 Million To Purchase Even More Devices That Don't Work
from the the-only-defect-i-see-is-that-not-enough-money-is-being-spent dept
For all of us who agree that the US government spends money wisely (yeah... that's pretty much nobody), here's yet another depressing story about throwing away perfectly good taxpayer money in the bizarre pursuit of... well, what exactly?This particular story starts way back in the Cheney-Bush years (no, that's written correctly) when the administration was pushing for the adoption of the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal machine as a way to prevent importation of radioactive materials for use in dirty bombs or workshop nukes.
It's a promising idea. Anti-terrorism technology with a specific aim and purpose. This would be all well and good, except for one little problem: they don't work.
In January, the National Academy of Sciences released a report that found there was no way to know whether the machines, known as ASPs, worked as promised. An academy panel found that in promoting the machines to Congress, the department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office had presented its findings "in ways that are incorrect and potentially misleading."
That report followed the department's decision to abandon plans to use ASPs for primary screening at ports and borders because of such questions.
The DHS has a much different definition of "abandon" than you or I (or Webster) do, apparently:
Now, the nuclear detection office said it intends to buy up to 400 ASPs by 2016, according the office's budget request, even though the department has not fulfilled internal requirements to conduct an independent review of the results of ASP testing before buying the equipment, according to the new GAO report.
Interesting. No, wait, the other thing: Preposterous. Even better, the GAO found that the DHS has no intention of ever having the ASPs independently reviewed. But that won't stop it from asking for more money, despite it being stated earlier by the Obama administration that this very program would be scaled back:
In February 2010, Obama administration officials told Lieberman that they had decided to sharply scale back the ASP program because of continuing questions about its costs and performance. But in February this year, department officials said in a budget document that they intended to use the machines widely for secondary screening. The department said that "between 300 and 400 ASP systems are required to complete the currently planned build-out."
Well, I'm sure the DHS knows best. After all, way back in 2006, the GAO found that the program's adminstrators had "underestimated the costs, overstated the benefits and provided misleading information to Congress." This isn't the sort of thing that stops an unsuccessful government program, though. If anything, it just means "double down."
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: advanced spectroscopic portal, homeland security
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Props!
You simply cannot expect these actors to re-use the same worn-out old props, sets and costumes all over the country! How very unprofessional it would appear.
So, everything MUST be shiny and new for the gropers in blue.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Not need, just feed the war cannibal animal
I walk the corner to the rubble that used to be a library
Line up to the mind cemetary, now
What we don't know keeps the contracts alive an movin'
They don't gotta burn tha books they just remove 'em
While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells
Rally round tha family, pocket full of shells... "
-Rage Against the Machine: Bulls on Parade
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Perhaps tone it down, please? Best I can do is ask. Otherwise, my eyes and your articles will have no choice but to part ways.
I couldn't even get past the first paragraph on this one.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
The sarcasm is justified and even necessary here.
The bright side is that pretty much every country is like that, if the program earns money to the ppl (politicians) involved then it gets doubled even if it fails.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
He is the literary equivalent of fingernails on a chalk board.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Those of us who enjoy Tim's writing style will not be too bothered if your eyes depart.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sucker for a salesman
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Sucker for a salesman
I don't think the politicians are the suckers in this story.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Sucker for a salesman
A former DHS CEO is profiting from every pornoscanner that's produced.
Steven Tepp was on the Senate Judiciary Committee before working for the US Chamber of Commerce.
The CIA wastes a ton of money on bogus software.
The Patriot Act was passed on faulty reasoning.
And don't get me started on the copyright enforcement takedowns.
Let's face it, our government really is at war with us. All to protect themselves.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Punishment will be far more than $5000
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Punishment will be far more than $5000
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Punishment will be far more than $5000
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Follow the money
Follow the money. Just like Chertoff and RapiScan, I'm sure someone powerful is benefiting from these hundreds of millions in cash giveaways from our cash-strapped government.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Corruption
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Corruption
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Asking an Expert
- Buy Geiger Counters at 1/300th the cost of these ASPs
- Bolt said counters to cranes in ports, near the arms that actually pick up the containers ($20 for overpriced bolts)
- Run wire from counter to speaker in crane operator's cockpit ($30 for overpriced wire)
- Set threshholds where we inspect the containers in person. If shipper refuses, simply force them to ship it back unless they agree.
What is wrong with this? What is wrong with using existing, proven technology and common sense? I'm not a nuclear physicist, but from what little I do know, even the comparatively small amount of nuclear material needed for a dirty bomb is detectable several blocks away. Wouldn't a Geiger Counter a whopping 6 inches from the container pick it up? Even if it won't detect it 100% of the time, if Norton Anti-Virus has taught me anything, it's that NOTHING will detect threats 100% of the time. This ASP crap probably doesn't detect more than 80% of the time at best. Can't a simple Geiger Counter match that level of success???
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Round these hyar parts...
As a federal agency, the DHS, along with its monstrous step child TSA, are chief amongst them all at waste, fraud and abuse, with heavy emphasis upon "abuse", if'n ya knows what I mean.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
300 million dollar? For security theatre?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Late comment in support of the Snark
[ link to this | view in chronology ]