Res. No. 123-A
Resolution of the New York City Council joining the City Councils of Chicago and Los Angeles in calling upon the President and Congress to allocate Homeland Security and Urban Area Security funding in a way that ignores political agendas and focuses on fairly distributing resources to the areas of the country with the greatest needs, recognizing that our nation's largest urban centers are the true targets of terrorist attacks.
By The Speaker (Council Member Miller) and Council Members Rivera, Weprin, Vallone, Avella, Baez, Dilan, Fidler, Foster, Gentile, Gioia, James, Jennings, Katz, Koppell, Martinez, Monserrate, Nelson, Quinn, Seabrook, Sears, Yassky, Gerson, DeBlasio, Gennaro, Liu and Jackson
Whereas, The metropolitan areas of the cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York represent 48.9 million people, more than 16% of the nation's total population; and
Whereas, In addition to being population centers, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York are the centers of economic activity for the nation, accounting for $1.2 trillion of our gross domestic product; and
Whereas, Through the ports of these cities, approximately half of our country's international trade flows; and
Whereas, These cities also comprise the focal point of our nation's artistic and cultural strengths, and as a result are the prime targets of terrorist attacks; and
Whereas, The most devastating attack ever launched on U.S. soil occurred in New York City on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, resulting in the loss of close to 3,000 lives and causing as much as $83 billion in infrastructure damage and lost economic activity; and
Whereas, The Department of Homeland Security, through the Office for Domestic Preparedness, allocated $2.9 billion for first responders and urban security in 2004, which has been distributed in a way that allocates funding to an increasing number of low-threat cities like New Haven, Connecticut, which receives more than three times the total per capita allocations of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City combined; and
Whereas, As a result of this policy, the City of Chicago receives $70.5 million, Los Angeles receives $66 million, and New York receives $200 million of such federal aid, amounts which in no way address real needs regarding the prevention of terrorist attacks; and
Whereas, Under the FIRE Act grant program, the City of Chicago receives $0.24 per capita, Los Angeles receives $0.20 per capita, and New York City receives $0.09 per capita in security funding, while the City of Odessa, Texas, with a population of less than 91,000, receives $8.25 per capita; and
Whereas, The New York City Fire Department alone has budgeted approximately $277 million for homeland security preparedness, and total homeland security needs for Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City top $1 billion; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the New York City Council joins the City Councils of Chicago and Los Angeles in calling upon the President and Congress to allocate Homeland Security and Urban Area Security funding in a way that ignores political agendas and focuses on fairly distributing resources to the areas of the country with the greatest needs, recognizing that our nation's largest urban centers are the true targets of terrorist attacks.