Mayor Bloomberg called for more anti-terrorism funding for NYC at a Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting in Midtown this afternoon. Hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mayor Bloomberg, in what passes as a passionate display for him, stressed that NYC is still a target for terrorists, and challenged Homeland Security to add funding for programs such as "Securing the Cities:"

Despite the great job that all of our first responders do, we certainly think of ourselves as being in the crosshairs. That is just a fact. And I challenge the Department to continue to work to devise Homeland Security funding formulas that take this fact into higher consideration.

Commissioner Kelly and I have both been to Washington many times to urge the Federal government to distribute funding solely on threat levels. National security is a national responsibility, and we can't afford to let local politics get in the way, and trying to spread the money around as pork just is irresponsible at the very least.

The big question that was not addressed by any parties at the conference was the matter of the 9/11 terror trials, which were originally supposed to take place in lower Manhattan. It's believed that the Justice Dept is reconsidering that plan, in part because of Mayor Bloomberg's report that it would cost nearly $200 million to properly secure the trials. The meeting today comes at an eerily appropriate time, with reports earlier about "certain" Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. in the next six months.