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Jan Ting on Homeland Security
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Provide tools to local first responders
Q: How do you assess the state of the nation's preparedness to meet emergencies caused by violence, natural disaster or public health crises? A: We need to make sure that our local first-responders have the tools they need to protect our communities.
For instance, the Lewes Fire Department needs a search and rescue boat. As the Coast Guard is tasked with more homeland security responsibilities, search and rescue responsibilities are increasingly being referred to the Lewes Fire Department.
Source: Wilmington News Journal candidate issues questionnaire
Sep 1, 2006
Make FEMA an independent agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency should not be the stepchild of the Department of Homeland Security bureaucracy. It should be restored to its status as an independent agency reporting directly to the President.
Having FEMA as an independent agency will help to eliminate many of the bureaucratic hurdles we faced during the Katrina disaster.
Source: Wilmington News Journal candidate issues questionnaire
Sep 1, 2006
OK to track phone bills and finances, to look for terrorists
Surveillance initiatives undertaken by our government which have been singled out by the ACLU for criticism are not only in the best interests of the citizens of the US, but rest on firm legal authority and will ultimately be sustained by the judicial or
legislative process. The 1st of these initiatives is to intercept international, not domestic, communications of suspected foreign terrorists even when the communication originates in or is directed to the US. The 2nd criticized initiative is to gather
the kind of data that shows on our phone bills, to accumulate a body of data which can be searched for patterns of concern. The Supreme Court has held that no constitutional rights adhere to such information. The 3rd criticized initiative is to track
international transfers of money in an effort to cut off funding for terrorist organizations. The same people who criticize President Bush for not doing enough to protect Americans before 9/11 now criticize him for doing too much.
Source: Wilmington News Journal candidate issues questionnaire
Sep 1, 2006
Prosecute civil servants who leak classified information
Q: Have surveillance tools been properly used? What changes in law are needed to correct any deficiencies or abuses you cite? A: The only scandal here is the fact that a few civil servants paid by the taxpayers have deliberately chosen to illegally
leak classified information about these initiatives to the media. There is no reason that our terrorist enemies should learn the details of our technical capabilities. The leakers should be identified, fired, and prosecuted.
Source: Wilmington News Journal candidate issues questionnaire
Sep 1, 2006
Supports surveillance of communications coming into US
Jan supports our troops and President Bush in their efforts to keep America safe and free, including surveillance of our enemies overseas, and any communications they may send to or receive from the U.S.
Jan says, "I support efforts to track and intercept terrorist communications. Those who have leaked the details of efforts to track and intercept terrorist communications should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Source: Campaign website, voteTing.com, "Issues"
Aug 31, 2006
Terrorism dragnet: more profiling and not less profiling
Q: 1200 people have been caught in the dragnet since 9/11, but we haven't shown any connection to terrorism. In fact, the only two people that we have caught since 9/11 are the shoe-bomber and Moussaoui Zacaria, both of which resulted from good simple
intelligence and by vigilance of flight attendants. What's your view? TING: I think the dragnet makes a lot of sense. No one is profiling Arab-American men. We're profiling foreign men who have temporarily come to the US in the past couple of years.
It seems to me that's a legitimate focus. The government has a compelling interest in preventing another terrorist attack. We know that all the 9/11 terrorists were young males from other countries who came to the US recently. So that's a reasonable
profile. I think the case could be made for more profiling and not less profiling. I don't think that it's racial profiling. I don't think it's ethnic profiling in the sense of identifying people on the basis of skin color or on the basis of appearance.
Source: PBS Newshour "Terrorism Dragnet" transcript
Apr 3, 2002