US Capital West Side, by Martin Falbisoner
Forbes makes a case that DHS is directing money to Customs and Border Protection because it’s broken, while minimally funding the Coast Guard because it works.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, did a lot for the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard, the maritime component of the sprawling Department of Homeland Security, got a $434 billion windfall (that has to be million vice billion–Chuck) to fund operations and pay for physical improvements.
That’s better than a kick in the head. But the service got mere fraction of the $3.7 billion Congress meted out to the Department of Homeland Security’s continually-troubled Customs and Border Patrol.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a tendency in government to throw money at agencies that are not performing, in hopes of seeing an improvement, and providing no additional funds to agencies that are providing a good return on investment, inverting good investment strategy.
He also points out that for whatever reason, despite numerous demands from Congress, the Coast Guard is not providing the information Congress needs to make an informed decision about the true needs of the service.
At least this time the Coast Guard had provided an unfunded priority list. In many previous years there was none. The “program of record” for cutter procurement was formulated in 2004 and has not changed in 17 years. The only Fleet Mix study was done in 2011, a decade ago. There is no long-term capital asset or ship building plan.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Thanks to formerdirtdart for bringing this to my attention.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
How do you define “Non Performing”?/! Is Non-Performing when the observer doing the looking isn’t seeing anything being done, or something being done but not seen…
The Coast Guard is in danger of “something being done but not seen.”
That’s true with all the services, not just the USCG. And given the fact that there isn’t a National Draft Act emplace it’s only likely to get worse even with a Worldwide Pandemic in plain sight. Freeing financial resources isn’t going to solve anything, if you can get a handle of the latter (i.e. Worldwide Pandemic), unless you plan the reestablish the pre 1804 Press Gang to fill vacant ranks…
It’s not that we have trouble recruiting people. The Coast Guard is in good shape there. Though getting people to volunteer for sea duty is apparently getting more difficult.
I would think anyone joining the USCG would have a modicum of wit about them, in thinking upon joining that some part of their contractual enlistment would include Sea Duty of some kind…
A lot of people come in only knowing about small boat stations or helicopter rescues.
Then as you get older, you have a family and being away from them gets more difficult.
The problem is that historically the “parent Department” of the USCG has always not seen fit to properly fund the Service Fully. Unless the President steps in that is going to continue
Which “Parent Department” though?/! Under “DHS” or under “USDT”…
Homeland Security now, Transportation before that, and Treasury before that, for as long as there has been a USCG.