Iowa Central Homeland Security Training Center and federal spending

Well, this is one way for localities to get federal dollars -- in West Virginia, we call these "Byrd droppings" (after the one and only Senator Robert C Byrd). Here's an example from the recently passed 2008 omnibus spending bill:

U.S. Rep. Latham: Training center provides important resources for Iowa's first responders
12/20/2007
WASHINGTON, DC — Iowa Congressman Tom Latham has secured $423,000 in funding for a state-of-the-art first-responder training program at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa. “These funds will allow this important program to continue to provide first-rate training for all of Iowa’s first responders,” Latham said. “It’s essential that the brave men and women Iowa families trust with their help in times of crisis have the most up-to-date tools and training available.

Iowa Central Community College is the leader in helping our professional first responders prepare for worst case scenarios.”The funds secured by Latham will allow the Iowa Central Homeland Security Training Center (ICHSTC) to move forward with its instruction for law enforcement personnel and others, as part of a six-state rural preparedness consortium.

To-date Latham has secured over $1.7 million for the center, which has trained over 21,755 first responders during 795 different training sessions. The first responder training includes terrorism awareness, basic incident command and bombing awareness.

http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=113775

They key part of this is the "six-state rural preparedness consortium" that will help out a part of the country that is likely to suffer once funding goes to a purely risk-based system.