Why does the Jasper, FL police department need 23 military helicopters?

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Sanford wants to stop military 'giveaway'

SURPLUS POLICY: The Charleston Republican opposes the sale of equipment to municipal police agencies at garage sale prices.

Saturday, May 13, 2000

By STEVE PIACENTE Of The Post and Courier staff

WASHINGTON - Thanks to a federal surplus program, the police department in Jasper, Fla., wound up with 23 military helicopters, seven M-16 automatic rifles, two C-12 airplanes and one armored personnel carrier. Not bad for a police force with only seven members - but not good for taxpayers, according to U.S. Rep Mark Sanford. The heavy haul of military hardware in Jasper came via a popular 1949 federal law that has transferred billions of dollars of military equipment to the states at a fraction of its value. Sanford, a Charleston Republican, wants the law abolished. "Who is going to pay to maintain all these toys? The local taxpayers," Sanford said. He is writing legislation to end the surplus program and has ordered a General Accounting Office report to determine how much money the military loses by not selling excess equipment on the open market. Though surplus military equipment is used by the Charleston County Sheriff's Department, the Charleston Police Department and other local agencies, Sanford said he will propose an amendment to next year's defense authorization bill to stop what he calls "a giveaway program" that amounts to "good candy for the politicians." Sanford will cite examples of what he considers egregious abuse when he presents his amendment to the House Rules Committee next week. Sanford said he objects because the program muddles the yearly debate on military spending and because he believes agencies are more likely to use the equipment frivolously if they pay bargain-basement rates. The program, he said, "overstates what we spend on defense and understates what we spend on county, state and local government. Budgets are supposed to reflect reality," he said. The view is different at the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, which has "scads" of equipment that enables the department to "provide services we could not provide if it were not for this program," according to spokesman Mitch Lucas. As examples, Lucas cited military helicopters used in car chases and to pinpoint marijuana fields, a twin-engine plane used to extradite prisoners, and 2 1/2-ton trucks used to transport SWAT teams. The helicopters were purchased for under $500 apiece, far less than the hundreds of thousands Sanford says they Sanford would cost on the open market. Under a federal law originally passed in 1949, surplus Defense Department equipment goes to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, which tries to find a new home for the used goods in other military agencies. Equipment not used by military agencies goes to the U.S. General Services Administration, which offers it to the states. According to Sanford's office, the military "gave away" $1.2 billion worth of goods to law enforcement agencies from 1995-1998. Sanford said he became interested in the matter after learning at an Upstate campaign event for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that a county sheriff was taking flying lessons in a military helicopter obtained by his department. Sanford said that was "an unproductive use of assets." While Sanford adamantly opposes the program, staffers in his district offices routinely provide information to agencies that want to obtain surplus equipment. However, Sanford said he has never been asked to intervene on a local agency's behalf. "I'm the last one they'd come to for help on pork stuff," he said. In attacking the program, Sanford will bump heads with many from his home state, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence, R-S.C. "Small municipalities especially benefit from this program, " Spence said, noting that the cost of military planes, helicopters and other equipment is way beyond the means of most communities. He said schools and nonprofit organizations also participate. Sharing the Lexington Republican's sentiment is Sheriff Dudley Rushton of rural Saluda County, which has obtained a military helicopter, a pick-up truck and a four-wheel drive utility vehicle through the program. Sanford says if communities really need such equipment, officials should say so, and local taxpayers should foot the bill. "I'm not disputing the fact that they're getting it real cheap," Sanford said. "They are. I think the first step to balancing the budget is having real numbers. This program doesn't allow us to have real-world accounting."

-- Whazzup (@ .), May 13, 2000

Answers

Jasper Florida? What a waste. We need that stuff in Riverside California.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), May 13, 2000.

To invade Cuba.

Best wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), May 13, 2000.


Well, maybe they found out the Elian Gonzalez family is moving from Miami to Jasper. Might as well be prepared, right?

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), May 13, 2000.

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