From Alaska to Florida, corporations and other special interests are taking advantage of our concerns over terrorism to help solidify their pork wish lists. By wrapping the American flag around their proposals, they are financially benefiting from the fear of a new attack on our soil.

Even with a $40 billion dollar homeland security budget, the government is unable to finance every single security need for the nation and Congress is reviewing how to prioritize homeland security funding much more effectively. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge agrees, he told USA Today, “with the infusion of that dramatic amount of dollars, we have to be equally concerned that they are spent appropriately.”

Fulfilling the enormous mission of protecting the nations ports, airports and thousands of miles of coastline will clearly be a billion dollar endeavor and is already attracting flies. Companies have flocked to this new corporate welfare trough. In 2001, there were approximately 150 companies that did this kind of work. There is now close to 600 that utilize the words 'homeland’ or ‘security’ or ‘terror’ in their lobby registration forms.

Technology companies have been the most aggressive in marketing their products. Software giants like Oracle are pushing for new database contracts. Old school defense contractors who had lost out on big time defense contracts are retooling themselves as security firms.

Biotech companies are also looking at cashing in. The federal government is contemplating spending billions on a biodefense initiative, a massive windfall for the small industry. Grocery and shopping mall owners are also trying to push a bill through Congress that would allow these companies to write off purchases of metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and other equipment that they may already need. For example, a grocery store in Sitka, Alaska could get a tax break to purchase this equipment, which would be used to catch shoplifters rather than al-Qaida.

Uncle Sam isn’t the only one getting duped. Communities around the nation are taking these federal security grants and buying security snake oil or subpar equipment off the shelf. The Washington, D.C. government dished out a quarter of a million dollars on a contract to a former politician to advise the city on how to prepare for a bioterrorism attack, which the Washington Post depicted as a “homeland security-related program that any college intern with a C average could complete over spring break.”

The police department in New York City spent more than $280,000 on emergency respirators that don’t protect them against tear gas and the Arlington, VA Fire Chief said that they have to replace $118,000 in air tanks regulators because the ones that they bought do not protect against deadly chemical agents such as mustard gas. There have also been reports of homeland security money going to pay overtime for police officers on neighborhood watch duty even though it had nothing to do with homeland security.

Special interests have also used a strategy of promoting legislation that pressures agencies and other businesses to buy their security products. For example, L-3 Communications, whose lobbyist is Linda Daschle (wife of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle), got a major boost from the passage of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, under which the government will provide $1 million for explosive detectors at 429 major airports. L-3 Communications manufactures the detectors and is based in the district of House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young.

Other politically powerful companies have secured enormous contracts. In April, the Army announced a contract worth up to $600 million with URS Corporation for homeland defense work. The husband of Senator Diane Feinstein owns the investment firm that partially owns URS.

Don’t take our word for it. The business side of homeland security has gotten so lucrative that there has been a billion dollar spending spree by large conglomerates and defense industries jockeying for a bigger piece of the homeland security pie by buying out the most well connected security companies.

This feeding frenzy has gotten out of control, and overspending diverts precious resources from the areas that truly benefit national security. While the debate on our homeland security priorities needs to continue, it is important to get control of the homeland security budget. It is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security to guarantee that this money is spent more responsibly and we are going to hold them to it.