L.A., S.F. to Get Funds to Fight Terror

Identified as high-risk areas for terrorist attacks, Los Angeles and San Francisco are among seven cities that will divide more than $96 million in federal aid and could receive millions of dollars more to strengthen local defenses, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

Los Angeles will get about $12.5 million of the initial funding to pay for equipment and training to help “first responders” -- police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel -- prepare for terrorist strikes. San Francisco will get about $11 million.

The money is in addition to $45 million previously approved for California from Washington for first responders.

Tuesday’s announcement signals that the two cities -- along with New York, Washington, Chicago, Seattle and Houston -- should be in line for extra money from an emergency spending measure expected to clear Congress this week. The word comes at a time when members of Congress, governors and mayors in many parts of the country have complained that the administration is not providing enough money to state and local governments for homeland defense.

The emergency spending measure, which would largely fund the U.S.-led war against Iraq, also would provide up to $700 million more to help secure “high threat” urban areas. Tuesday’s announcement suggests that Los Angeles would receive about 12% of those funds.

The extra money was welcomed by state and local officials. But lawmakers from cities that did not make the cut, including San Diego and San Jose, protested.

“I can’t understand it,” said Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego).

Cities were chosen based on a combination of factors, including population density, critical infrastructure and assessments of their vulnerability to attack, administration officials said.

“There are a lot of potentially deserving communities,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said. “But we could spread this money around so that everybody got a little bit and none of it would make a difference .... We wanted to make sure that significant dollars were distributed so that significant investments could be made.”

New York will receive the most, about $25 million, followed by Washington at $18 million. Chicago and Seattle will get about $11 million each, and Houston will get nearly $9 million.

Gov. Gray Davis welcomed the money but said, “Every community, as well as the state itself, is paying more for what is largely a federal responsibility. We will continue to fight to ensure all communities be reimbursed for their police, firefighters and health personnel who are keeping us safe from terror.”

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Rolling Hills), a congressional leader on homeland defense, praised the additional funding but said, “The entire [Los Angeles] region needs protection.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said the push from Congress for more funding for more communities will continue. “This will not be the end of the homeland security money,” she said.

“Clearly, both San Diego and San Jose are deserving -- San Diego because of its heavy military presence and force structure, and San Jose because it is the headquarters city for the largest high-technology sector in the United States.”

Mayor James K. Hahn recently urged Ridge to designate Los Angeles a high-threat area, noting that law enforcement has identified more than 500 “high risk” sites within its boundaries.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-East Los Angeles) said the $12.5 million represents “a small portion of the funds necessary to protect a city as large as Los Angeles.”

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Los Angeles has accrued more than $100 million in homeland security costs. And city officials say they need more than $100 million worth of equipment and training to prepare for a large-scale attack.

In the war-funding measure pending before Congress, President Bush has sought an additional $2 billion to help state and local governments pay for security measures, including $50 million for urban areas.

The House version of the bill would provide $700 million to the high-risk urban areas. The Senate bill would provide $600 million.

House and Senate negotiators are working to reconcile these and other differences in their bills.

The Senate bill also includes $219 million to help police, firefighters and medical personnel obtain compatible communication systems.

Los Angeles officials are among those pushing for this provision; the city is among many where police and firefighters use incompatible communications systems.