"We all must recognize that homeland security funds should be allocated by threat and no other reason"
About this Quote
Bloomberg’s line is a technocrat’s dagger: simple, tidy, and quietly accusatory. “We all must recognize” isn’t consensus-building so much as a pressure tactic, implying that anyone who disagrees is either unserious or self-interested. It’s the language of managerial inevitability, the kind that turns a political fight into an administrative correction.
The key word is “threat,” which sounds objective until you ask who gets to measure it. Threat assessments are built from intelligence, probability, and models - but also from narratives, fear cycles, and whichever danger is currently legible to Washington. By insisting funds be allocated by “no other reason,” Bloomberg is not just arguing for rational budgeting; he’s calling out the unspoken system where money follows electoral incentives, congressional clout, and the ritual of distributing federal dollars broadly enough to keep everyone quiet.
The context is the post-9/11 homeland security era, when grants often flowed to places with political leverage as much as actual risk. Bloomberg, as New York City’s mayor and a national figure associated with data-driven governance, had a clear stake: New York was an obvious high-value target and wanted a larger share of security resources. The quote doubles as a fairness claim and a negotiating move.
Its elegance comes from how it launders self-interest through principle. Bloomberg frames redistribution not as New York asking for more, but as the country finally agreeing to grow up: fund the danger, not the district.
The key word is “threat,” which sounds objective until you ask who gets to measure it. Threat assessments are built from intelligence, probability, and models - but also from narratives, fear cycles, and whichever danger is currently legible to Washington. By insisting funds be allocated by “no other reason,” Bloomberg is not just arguing for rational budgeting; he’s calling out the unspoken system where money follows electoral incentives, congressional clout, and the ritual of distributing federal dollars broadly enough to keep everyone quiet.
The context is the post-9/11 homeland security era, when grants often flowed to places with political leverage as much as actual risk. Bloomberg, as New York City’s mayor and a national figure associated with data-driven governance, had a clear stake: New York was an obvious high-value target and wanted a larger share of security resources. The quote doubles as a fairness claim and a negotiating move.
Its elegance comes from how it launders self-interest through principle. Bloomberg frames redistribution not as New York asking for more, but as the country finally agreeing to grow up: fund the danger, not the district.
Quote Details
| Topic | War |
|---|
More Quotes by Michael
Add to List
