The situation I'm referring to is the homeland security funding issue. Every state is guaranteed a certain piece of the homeland security funding pie, regardless of the threat. Then, additional funds are disbursed to certain locales based on actual need. This has the perverse effect of funding certain states to excess, while others are shortchanged.
According to some reports, there is a rural bias in how the formula allocates resources. According to one article from April 2004:
Congress appropriated $1.7 billion in counterterrorism grants to states during fiscal year 2004, by a formula first set up in the USA Patriot Act. Each state got an equal share (0.75 percent) of a bulk of the funding. Another pot of money, about $500,000, was distributed on another population-based formula. Other funds have been awarded to assist urban transit programs with security.This approach gave every senator something to take home to the voters this year. New York got $103 million in the current fiscal year. Delaware got $20 million. Montana got $21 million, and Wyoming got $19 million. Under a lesser formula of 0.25 percent, the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands got $6 million, as did American Samoa. House and Senate offices sent out a flurry of press releases in recent weeks announcing new homeland security grants that were awarded in their states.
Indeed, some states, like New Jersey are being shortchanged in the new fiscal year, and are receiving less money this year than last year for homeland security. This, despite the fact, that New Jersey is home to the same potential targets as last year (among them are Lincoln Tunnel, Newark Liberty Airport, oil refineries, financial company buildings, communications hubs, etc.)
That shortchanging could have serious repercussions - including an inability to deal with a terrorist attack, mass casualties, or prevent such an attack from occurring in the first place.
If you were to name the five cities at the top of the threat list, you would probably come up with New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Now, expand that list some more. Take another five cities: Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Dallas, Orlando.
What cities are listed? Top tourist destinations. The national capital. Major economic, political, social, and media centers. Transportation hubs.
