Suppose there is another terrorist attack? It seems to be a universally accepted fact (at least in the media, who will be fighting for ratings showing the aftermath) that such a thing however unthinkable, will occur. Are we any better off than we were before 9/11? According to Martin O'Malley writing in the Houston Chronicle, (dangerously close to the heart of Tommy "the Enforcer" DeLay country) we really aren't. Corporate profiteers, basic budgetary bullshit and refusal to confront the problem on many levels are playing a part in our un-readiness.

But one of the biggest threats has to be funding:

...There is another dangerous, undeniable truth here: The federal government can't invest in homeland security when the Treasury is bled dry by incessant tax cuts and the ensuing deficits they cause...

Every Wednesday Grover Norquist, a figure once marginalized for his views on taxation and government, now commands an audience with some of the most powerful policymakers in Washington. I wonder how he's going to feel when someone points out his obsession with tax-cuts has cost the lives of thousands of Americans because the money to fund responses was not there.

He'll probably offer another round of tax cuts to make the survivors feel better, and point out that someone should have repealed the "death tax".