Fighting Terror At Home . . . Editorial

October 26, 2003

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly went to Washington last week to make a case for more federal anti-terrorism money for New York City.

Alas, he didn't get the chance.

The House Select Committee on Homeland Security kept Kelly waiting for so long, the commissioner had to leave before testifying.

That's a disappointment.

Urban areas - and New York City, in particular - are terrorism's most likely targets: That's where the people are.

New York is already spending $260 million a year battling terrorism - with the feds kicking in only $60 million of that.

Under the current formula, rural states - such as Wyoming! - get $35 per capita of anti-terrorism spending.

New York gets $5.

This is preposterous.

But it's tough to make New York's case in Washington - if for no other reason than the obnoxious tones often adopted by the city's elected officials in criticizing Bush administration anti-terror policies.

Ray Kelly, whose bona fides are impeccable, could have given the committee a unique perspective. He has experience with security matters in the private and public sectors - local, state and federal, to boot.

He wasn't there to make a simple parochial request for New York money. He was there to address the country's security needs - and how New York must fit into a broad plan to keep the entire nation safe.

As 9/11 showed, New York is a target because of population density, harbor and airport access, as well as being the heart of the nation's financial activity.

An attack here stands to damage the entire nation.

Not that large cities are the only possible terror targets. With a chemical or biological agent, a cropduster plane could poison agriculture across the heartland - interrupting the food supply and sending awful ripple effects throughout the economy.

That noted, homeland security is about more than a bright new fire engine for every volunteer fire department in the nation - the post-9/11 version of the cliched "chicken in every pot."

When it comes to protecting the country, threat-assessment must trump pedestrian pork-barrel concerns.

Here's hoping Commisioner Kelly gets a shot at a rescheduled hearing very soon.
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