Spitzer, Weiner Search For More Homeland Security $

As Governor Eliot Spitzer made his first visit to Washington to lobby for homeland security funds, Congressmember Anthony Weiner called for mandated public disclosure of all anti-terror spending by cities and states.

Weiner (D- Queens/Brooklyn) also said he plans to introduce legislation requiring the federal government to reimburse New York City for the funds the municipal government is paying out to city workers on leave from their city jobs to fight in Iraq.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, 1,832 city workers have taken military leave and have been paid a cumulative total of $57 million, Weiner said.

In Washington, Spitzer called on local congressmembers, making the argument that because of flawed formulas, "We are losing tens of millions of dollars that we should be spending on ensuring security."

Local lawmakers have been pointing out that fact to other states for some three or four years without much success.

The New York City Congressional delegation also basically agreed with Spitzer's complaint that pending terror funding bills continue to guarantee too much of the funding to every state, regardless of risk.

Weiner has been one of the most vocal lawmakers on this point and his public disclosure bill is designed to deal with "some of the most outrageous homeland security spending boondoggles from coast to coast".

In doing research for his public disclosure bill, Weiner found that Columbus, Ohio spent $7,348 of anti-terror funds on 11 bulletproof vests for dogs in 2005.

That money should have been used to purchase bulletproof vests for New York City cops, who have a vital need for them," Weiner said.- John Toscano