Homeland Security Headquarters Over Budget

The construction of a massive new headquarters for the Department of Homeland Security, billed as critical for national security and the revitalization of Southeast Washington, is running more than $1.5 billion over budget, is 11 years behind schedule and may never be completed, according to planning documents and federal officials.

Now what? This is the question the mind of many reporters today. It has been announced that “The entire complex was to be finished as early as this year, at a cost of less than $3 billion, according to the initial plan. Instead, with the exception of a Coast Guard building that opened last year, the grounds remain entirely undeveloped, with the occasional deer grazing amid the vacant Gothic Revival-style structures. The budget has ballooned to $4.5 billion, with completion pushed back to 2026. Even now, as Obama administration officials make the best of their limited funding, they have started design work for a second building that congressional aides and others familiar with the project say may never open.” – At least this is the report the Washington Post put in the paper today.

There isn’t much we can do about the spending at this point. It is like building a house one cannot afford and then being stuck with a half built house that can’t be sold in the middle of everything. We do need the space for the department and then again- we don’t. Heck, we have been functioning without it all this time, right? This brings up the question of “was it ever needed in the first place?” And then the onslaught of even more anger of budgets and projects, etc.

I wanted to talk, briefly, about this issue today because it is important. While no one has an immediate answer, we should address the elephant in the room.

Twyla N. Garrett

Essential Items- Tornado Survival Kit

My tips on how to survive a tornado:

Consider the danger signs:

#1. A pale green sky is an indicator that a tornado may occur.

#2. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also advises to look out for the following danger signs: large hail, dark, low-lying clouds, and a loud roar, similar to a freight train.

Staying safe #1. A tornado watch indicates possible tornadoes in your area.

#2. A tornado warning means that a tornado is on the ground or has been detected by Doppler radar. Seek shelter immediately! If you are indoors, take cover in the cellar or a small space (a closet or bathroom) in the interior of your home. Stay away from windows!

#3. If you are outdoors, find a field or ditch away from items that can fly through the air and lie down as flat as you can. Do not stay in a car or try to drive away from a tornado. Cars can be flung about by high winds or crushed by debris.

#4. If you have evacuated, do not return to your home until it is deemed safe to do so by local officials.

#5. Do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. If you do stay behind the wheel, don't try to outrun the tornado — drive at a 90-degree angle away from the storm.