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Home Front: Politix
New Yorkers launch postcard protest over terror funds
2006-06-03
A day after New Yorkers took a big funding cut as a "drop dead" message from the nation's top security official, angry lawmakers decided to drop him a postcard — lots of them. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Pete King are launching a postcard protest of the government's decision to cut anti-terror grant money to New York City by 40 percent this year.
Seldom as it is that I agree with Mrs. Clinton, I agree with Mrs. Clinton. And Rep. King. Noo Yawk is much preferred to the Mohammedans over Dubuque or Omaha.
Clinton, D-N.Y., and King, R-Long Island, teamed up Thursday to write Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff postcards from famous New York landmarks, in a dig at the agency's finding the city has zero national monuments or icons at risk of terror attack.
Who the hell came up with that opinion?
Clinton and King, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, also are showing their postcards on Clinton's Web site to encourage New Yorkers to write their own.
As well they should. And I'm not even particularly fond of Noo Yawk.
Lawmakers are irate that as part of their funding cut DHS determined the city has no national icons. Oddly, separate DHS documents obtained by The Associated Press show the agency found the rest of New York state has five monuments or icons. To prod Chertoff's memory, Clinton and King will send joint postcards of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Shea Stadium and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Posted by:Fred

#7  Imho this is much ado about nothing. NY did not have ALL it's funding pulled just part of it. As for military bases they are covered by the DOD budget. You all just fell or the oldest liberal trick in the book: "money cures all." Unless we are talking about putting I-Hawk systems around a city we can't really defend against a 9/11 attack only try to prevent the bad guys from getting on an airplane. Also what exactly will not be protected (and from what) with the moiney that NYC will not get? Is the Empire State building now open for attack? The Brooklyn Bridge? The subway systems? Who is protecting them now and who protected them before 9/11?
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-06-03 12:40  

#6  The city isn't my favorite place - I pay high state taxes to support it and am not thrilled to do so. That said, NYC's business base tanked after 9/11 and there's not much more that can be raised in taxes there. And as a major financial center, it really is the case that the city's well being affects us all, at least in the short to mid term.

Both the cuts and the protest are political posturing, I suspect. DHS is being ridiculous -- remember the several Brooklyn groups who've been on trial for planning to blow up bridges etc? OTOH, Bloomberg might as well be a Dem and may be planning to switch parties soon.

Ugh ... have I mentioned it's not my favorite place in the world?
Posted by: lotp   2006-06-03 12:12  

#5  so raise municiple taxes, they can help pay for their own protection as well.
Posted by: bk   2006-06-03 11:27  

#4  New York pols think everything in the trough belongs to them. Can anyone explain how a zillion dollars would absolutely prevent the next terrorist attack?
Posted by: Captain America   2006-06-03 00:57  

#3  just my 2 cents worth
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-03 00:32  

#2  IIUC - San Diego lost a lot also, despite the huge tourist/military target opportunities, as did Vegas. If they're reinforcing Boise or Fargo, you have a legitimate bitch, otherwise, it's probably more a reflection on anticipated risk and past record of how well expenditures were used in the past (*ahem, big hint there*). When they use the supplemental funds for everyday Cop OT and Fire OT, and can't explain the need....the money's lost, or should be
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-03 00:31  

#1  ...in a dig at the agency's finding the city has zero national monuments or icons at risk of terror attack.

Maybe they can dig up some old ones of the WTC.
Either Chertoff's a moron or he's got a lot of them working for him.
Posted by: tu3031   2006-06-03 00:10  

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