DHS to Slash Funds for NY, Washington

[MountainLaurel]

So the two cities that actually did get attacked on 9-11 are getting their security budgets cut in half? As a DC resident, should I start keeping a full tank of gas in my car and an extra bag of dog food in the trunk? Are they preparing for that 2007 Reichstag fire?

The two cities attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, will receive far less antiterrorism money under plans unveiled today by the Department of Homeland Security, which has designated more money for many smaller cities throughout the country.

Washington and New York will receive 40 percent less in urban grant money compared to last year, with Washington dropping from $77 million to $46 million and New York falling from $207 million to $124 million, DHS officials said. The combined total means that the two areas bear almost the entire brunt of a $120 million cut in the overall budget for the program, the statistics show.

The announcement sparked another round of heated complaints from many lawmakers and local officials about the DHS grant process, which has weathered criticism from cities large and small for an allegedly haphazard and unfair distribution plan.

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) said he was "disappointed" by the decision.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/31/AR2006053101364.html