The Salt Lake Tribune
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The ol' nerve gas gambit
Matt LaPlante writes today about the oldest bureaucratic trick in the book. Got a problem getting elected officials to shell out more money for a program? Scare the pants off the public.

Here's the scam: The Defense Department needs more funding to meet a deadline in destroying chemical weapons. But Congress has been reluctant to cough up the dough. So DOD comes up with a solution. Hello! "How 'bout we truck nerve agent, mustard gas and other unspeakable chemical weapons across the West to Utah for incineration in Tooele.

Never mind the idea is outright prohibited by state law, just the thought of trucks bouncing down I-80, dripping nerve agent, scares the pants off civilians. Writes LaPlante:
But some familiar with the process say the Pentagon only has one option in mind. It wants more money for chemical-agent destruction efforts in Colorado and Kentucky - and may be using the specter of cross-border weapons exchanges to drum up congressional support for increased funding of current operations.
Already Utah's congressional delegation and Gov. Jon Huntsman are foaming like rabid rat terriers with righteous indignation. LaPlante notes:
That may be just the reaction the Defense Department is looking for.
posted by gwarchol @ 7:44 AM |
© Copyright 2008, The Salt Lake Tribune. All material found on Utah Online is copyrighted The Salt Lake Tribune and associated news services. No material may be reproduced or reused without explicit permission from The Salt Lake Tribune.
Feedback
   If you've got something to say, type away -- I'm wide open to rants and raves. There is no registration required.
   If you want to send me a tip (the reporter in me dies hard) or photos of goofy or horrible stuff, email gwarchol@sltrib.com.