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NLC Leaders Tell Ridge: Make Funding Come Quickly

Local government officials frustrated with the lack of federal coordination in homeland security efforts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Leaders of the nation's cities and towns urged the Office of Homeland Security to speed up its efforts to create a national coordinated homeland-security system, including getting new federal dollars into the hands of local officials as quickly as possible when the new fiscal year begins.

In a meeting last week with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, representatives of the seven state and local public interest groups discussed the status of federal initiatives on homeland security and the working relationship between the federal agencies and state and local governments.

Representatives from the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties and the International City-County Management Association attended. All of the organizations came to the meeting with a shared concern about the fragmented approach to homeland security and the urgent need for a clear process to ensure the flow of funds to first responders when the funds become available on October 1.

Ridge reiterated his commitment to a coordinated, collaborative working relationship between the federal government and state and local governments.

Local leaders repeatedly expressed frustration with the absence of federal coordination, the potential for new federal mandates and the lack of clarity on how federal funds would be allocated.

NLC First Vice President John DeStefano, mayor of New Haven, Conn., noted that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) had invited comments on guidelines for allocating funds and suggested that Ridge bring together representatives from state and local governments to work directly with the agency in crafting the guidelines.

"That's a good idea," Ridge said, indicating that he would make it happen.

Dallas Mayor Pro-Tem Mary Poss, co-chair of the NLC's Working Group on Homeland Security, expressed serious concerns over the new Transportation Security Administration's requirements that local law enforcement agencies will need to replace National Guard members at airports until the agency is fully staffed.

"The directive raises concerns about potential liability, payment of salaries and availability of personnel for local emergencies," Poss said.

In response to concerns about the slow pace of federal action to respond to state and local needs, Ridge acknowledged that, "no one in Washington is moving with the urgency I believe is necessary."

He urged the group to share this concern with members of Congress.

Ridge discussed the National Homeland Security Alert System as a "work in progress" and asked for feedback on how to insure that it was useful and responsive. He also said that there was no higher priority for state and local budgets than homeland defense, adding that the federal government cannot be counted on to provide all the funds that will be needed.

NLC Second Vice President Charles Lyons, selectman, Arlington, Mass., made it clear that local governments were not in a financial position to make major reallocations of funds given fundamental services and responsibilities they were expected to provide and the tight budgets under which they are operating.

Finally, Ridge argued strongly for centralizing federal responsibility for working with first responders on homeland security in FEMA, the agency he said had "core competence in responding to emergencies."

Key members of the Office of Homeland Security made presentations on the National Homeland Security Strategy, a major initiative mandated by the Congress, state legislative reforms and federal support for first responder programs.

Donald Borut, The National League of Cities