Homeland Insecurity Strikes Again

When Cheshire, Massachusetts-- population 3,500 -- needed a new fire truck, they turned to Washington for help.

The braniacs at Homeland Security cut them a $665,962 check -- with one stipulation. They couldn't use any of that money to buy a firetruck.

The money is enough to cover the little village's annual fire department budget for 26 years.

But Homeland Seucrity decided what the village really needed was money to increase the number of firemen -- in case terrorists attack Cheshire.

And what would terrorists want to attack?

The Boston Globe suggests the Cheshire Cheese Monument -- commemorating the Thomas Jefferson's 1801 gift of a three-quarter ton cheese wheel to the town.

The money comes from the same Homeland Security Department which last year declared New York City -- home to the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and Statue of Liberty -- should have security funding cut because the city had no national landmarks.

Cheshire, Massachusetts only wanted a new fire truck.

But now Washington is requiring them to spend $600,000 to run radio and television commercials to recruit high school students into the Fire Department instead.