Governors Want Anti-Terrorism Aid

Concerned about a reduction in federal anti-terrorism funds, governors Eliot Spitzer of New York and Jon Corzine of New Jersey held a press conference yesterday at the Hoboken Terminal to urge Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to not reduce funds. Federal counter-terrorism aid to New York City decreased by almost half last year, while in New Jersey aid to six northern counties was increased but funding was slashed for the rest of the state.

The governors, in their first joint public appearance since Spitzer took office, are concerned that Homeland Security's new guidelines to determine aid, which lump parts of the two states together, will lead to additional cuts. In a letter to secretary Chertoff the governors say combining a high risk location like New York City into the same region as the lower risk northern New Jersey could lead to less aid and "would be a grave mistake".

The governors did not put a price tag on their request, but Corzine did say the states should get substantially more funding, especially to protect mass transit and Spitzer said "I feel kind of like a college student calling home and saying, 'Just send money'".

Photo of Governors Corzine and Spitzer by Mike Derer/AP