Homeland Security Funding Cuts Puzzle N.J. Officials
New Jersey firefighters get training in urban search and rescue techniques. Pam Fessler, NPR hide caption
New Jersey authorities say they've made great strides since the Sept. 11 attacks in preparing for a terrorist attack. They think the state is a prime target -- which is why they were surprised when their federal homeland security grants were cut more than 30 percent this year.
Matt Mayer, who heads the grant program for the Department of Homeland Security, says awards are based on a complicated formula that factors in population density, critical sites and threat. One element is the number of active counterterrorism cases in a state.
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New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey says that because of the latest cuts, the state will now have to scale back its plans to purchase field hospitals, decontamination shelters,and protective clothing for search and rescue teams, among other things. He fears it will make not only the state but the region more vulnerable.
Mayer says there's pressure from every state for more money, and Congress has resisted efforts to award the funds based solely on risk. Even so, New Jersey has received more than $300 million in counterterrorism funds since Sept. 11.
Department of Homeland Security 2004 Grant Awards for the Eight Most Populous U.S. States:*
California
Population: 35,484,453
Per Capita: $4.97
Texas
Population: 22,118,509
Per Capita: $ 5.24
New York
Population: 19,190,115
Per Capita: $ 5.41
Florida
Population: 17,019,068
Per Capita: $5.45
Illinois
Population: 12,653,544
Per Capita: $5.85
Pennsylvania
Population: 12,365,455
Per Capita: $ 5.89
Ohio
Population: 11,435,798
Per Capita: $ 6.00
New Jersey
Population: 8,638,396
Per Capita: $ 6.45
Top 10 Grant Recipients*
The following U.S. states and territories (plus the District of Columbia) received the largest DHS grant awards on a per capita basis in fiscal year 2004:
Virgin Islands
Population:
Per Capita: $104.35
Guam
Population:
Per Capita: $90.36
Northern Marina Islands
Population: 108,612
Per Capita: $54
Wyoming
Population: 501,242
Per Capita: $37.74
American Samoa
Population: 154,805
Per Capita: $37.54
District of Columbia
Population: 563,384
Per Capita: $34.16
Vermont
Population: 619,107
Per Capita: $31.43
North Dakota
Population: 633,837
Per Capita: $30.82
Alaska
Population: 648,818
Per Capita: $30.18
South Dakota
Population: 764,309
Per Capita: $26.32
* Source: Veronique de Rugy, American Enterprise Institute. Population data based on 2003 figures.