$80M Below 2005
Charge DHS Hosed City on Terror Aid

By ARI PAUL

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and city representatives in Congress last week delivered a unanimous verdict on the latest Department of Homeland Security anti-terrorism funding for the area: It's not enough.

HILLARY CLINTON: There they go again.

The DHS announced July 18 that the New York City region will receive $134 million in Urban Area Security Initiative grants this year. That's slightly up from the $124 million received in 2006 but $80 million below the 2005 allocation.

Clinton: Repeat Mistake

DHS and the U.S. Department of Commerce also announced that they would grant $61 million for New York State and $34.8 million for New York City to improve radio communications in fire and police departments.

"While the interoperability funding is an important step for our first responders' communication needs, I am disappointed that the Department of Homeland Security continues to underestimate the overall homeland security needs of the New York City region," U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said in a statement. "Despite a recent intelligence report indicating that the nation faces a 'heightened threat' of terrorism from a 'regenerated' Al Qaeda, the Urban Area Security Initiative funding announced today shows that the Administration has again failed to take into account the threats facing the New York City region and has not learned from its past mistakes on this critical issue."

ANTHONY WEINER: DHS serving pork with beer.

Senator Clinton met with DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff in Washington July 12 and urged him to grant the region more funding.

In a phone interview, U.S. Rep. Peter King called the increase, "clearly not enough."

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner was livid at the fact that 14 cities smaller than Staten Island received increases from DHS, while New York's funding has yet to return to the 2005 level.

'City Shortchanged'

"Despite promises to the contrary, New York City has once again been shortchanged while small, low-risk cities continue to receive questionable funding," said Congressman Weiner in a statement. "I am all for protecting the beer industry in Milwaukee, but not with the same funds used to protect Wall Street and the United Nations from a terrorist attack."

And there is discontent on the local level, as well. Barry Skolnick, who sits on Community Board 1 in lower Manhattan, thought the city and the state had a long way to go in terms of counter-terrorism.

"I don't really feel safe," said Mr. Skolnick. "I'm not thrilled on what's going on with the subways. I don't think our pipelines are adequately protected."