Taxpayers Footing Oil Safety Bill (Homeland Security Funds)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/25/eveningnews/main619558.shtml

It's no secret that when it comes to the mounting cost of security for all high-risk terrorist targets, like nuclear power plants and railroads, there simply isn't enough Homeland Security money to go around.

But, as CBS News Correspondent Mika Brzezinski reports, precious taxpayer dollars are quietly going to pay for security at some of the richest corporations in the world. Major oil companies have received $65 million to buy cameras, fencing, and communications equipment.

"That makes no sense to me at all," says Bill Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association.

Millar asks why these profitable private companies are receiving scarce taxpayer dollars while publicly funded entities like the transit system, with Americans riding 32 million times a day, left under-funded and under-protected.

"Clearly, public transit is being short changed and security is not as strong as it could be," says Millar.

It's the GOP way. Plantation economics. Private property is more 'valuable' than public property ... until the public property is privatized and becomes a cash cow for the wealthy. Like oil. Like forests. Like water. Like clean air itself.

profits they're currently earning ?

with $4 BILLION in profits nonetheless got $11 MILLION from taxpayers to protect its facilities. No one in this administration has a conscience.