In The Event Of Emergency, Please Go Nuts

Most Philadelphians laugh at the thought of being an attacked by terrorists here in our city. I mean, what terrorist in their right mind would actually attack a city of such middling influence as this one? And terrorists like the still at-large Osama seem to be concerned with attacking places that hurt the United States financially, not symbolic things like Philly has.

Still, we are a major American city, and terrorists are clearly stupid — and, remember, Oklahoma City was attacked once — so who knows what could happen. Having a little protection would be nice.

Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security has just cut funding for the five county metropolitan Philadelphia area — down $3 million to $19.5 mil — while the state of Pennsylvania went from $82 million last year to $49 million this year.

A cover story in Metro (not online) quotes a Street spokesman saying that several ongoing programs, including “mass care sheltering” — providing, uh, shelter and care for a large number of people in the event of a catastrophe. The state hasn’t decided how it’s going to divide up the money yet, and Chaka Fattah says we should get more funding.

It could, though, be worse. New York City is going to get $83 million less than last year.