FEMA Gives NYC $8M Anti-Terror Grant, Too Little Weiner Says

Weiner noted that last April, the Department of Homeland Security identified seven cities—New York City, Washington, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle—as prime terror targets and made them eligible for “High Threat High Density Urban Area Grants.”

By John Toscano

There was good news and bad in recent days regarding New York City’s funding to fight terrorism: we received $8 million from the Bush Administration to prepare and respond to all hazards, but Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D) said the city’s share of homeland security funds was cut by $102.7 million according to his new study.

Weiner’s study showed, he said, that the list of so-called "high risk" terror targets had been expanded from seven cities, including New York City, to 50 by the Department of Homeland Security. In doing so, the department had cut this city’s share of homeland security funds by $102.7 million. "Meanwhile funding to places like Fresno, Louisville and St. Paul has increased by a whopping $466.7 million." Weiner said.

To right the scales, Weiner has introduced legislation mandagint high threat funds to go to those places where the threat is actually high. "New York City is at the top of the list." Weiner said.

The continuing complaints such as Weiner’s and those of other congressmembers come as the national terror alert was raised by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge over the weekend, a few days before.

Ridge raised the nationwide threat level to Code Orange, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly were a step ahead of Ridge. The two officials said Code Orange has been in effect since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the World Trade Center.

Nonetheless, the mayor on Sunday ordered a new security clampdown as he urged New Yorkers to enjoy the holidays in "the safest city in the world."

An arm of Ridge’s department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had announced the allocation of $8 million to New York state "to better prepare to respond to all hazards and enhance preparedness activities and emergency management.

The news release from FEMA said the funding, an Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) was another step toward achieving President George W. Bush’s vision for comprehensive emergency management at state and local levels that is adaptable to any terrorist attack, man-made incident or natural disaster.

Ridge declared, "We’re engaged in a full-scale effort with our state and local partners to address their needs and provide the appropriate funds for preparedness, response, recovery and risk reduction for all hazards. We recognize the challenges that the states and localities face in emergency management, and will continue to work with them to secure the homeland through this all-hazards approach."

Meanwhile, Weiner noted that last April, the Department of Homeland Security identified seven cities—New York City, Washington, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle—as prime terror targets and made them eligible for "High Threat High Density Urban Area Grants."

However, over the past several months, Weiner complained, "The White House has stretched the list of eligible cities to 50, dispensing millions to cities from coast to coast."

When the High Threat High Density Urban Area Grants were going to only seven cities, a total of $800 million was allocated by the federal government to fight terror. Out of this, New York City was in line to get about $150 million.

But as congressmembers from smaller, non-threatened cities complained to Ridge’s department that too much money was going to New York City and other large cities, smaller cities were cut in for larger shares.

As this happened the Department of Homeland Security reduced the amount of funding to about $700 million. As a result of many more cities sharing a smaller pie, New York City’s funding was to be reduced by about $102.7 million, Weiner said. Instead of the city getting close to $150 million, the $102.7 million reduction leaves us with $47 million.

Weiner summed up the sharp reduction this way: "So now, places that no one in their right mind would think were at a risk of a terrorist attack—like Louisville, Fresno and St. Paul—are siphoning off funds New York City badly needs."

Other congressmembers from this area, like Weiner, complained loudly to the funding for New York City for its anti-terrorism defense being watered down.

To try to correct the imbalance in funding, Weiner, a member of the Judiciary Committee, is introducing legislation to ensure, he says, that more high threat funding comes to New York City. The bill is called the THREAT Act (Targeting Homeland Security Resources Effectively Against Terrorism.

He explained that first the bill will cap the numbers of high threat, high density areas at 15. Secondly, his bill will amend the current funding formula to weigh critical infrastructure and threat more heavily.

Presently, he said, the Department of Homeland Security weighs population density by a factor of 9, official infrastructure by a factor of 6, and credible threat by a factor of 3.

Weiner pointed out, the bill also require that funding go directly to cities, rather than states as it does currently, and the cities will be eligible to keep 20 percent of that funding.

"High threat funds should go to those places where the threat is actually high," Weiner declared," and New York City is at the top of the list. Now is not the time to turn homeland security into just another pork barrel project."