Arlen Specter's Missing Clout

No, this isn't about the Judiciary Committee.  Instead, via DragonBallEye . . .

The Philadelphia Police Department learned Monday that it was turned down for a $6 million grant to wire the city's rail tunnels so police, firefighters and paramedics could use their radios underground.

Instead, 26 other cities will share $92.8 million from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Some of the grant recipients were obvious choices, like New York City ($6 million), Phoenix ($6 million), and Atlanta ($6 million).

Some were not: Pocatello ($1.9 million), Bismarck ($2.3 million), Davenport, Iowa ($2.2 million), and Las Cruces, N.M. ($981,360).

"Right in the crosshairs of terrorism," quipped Councilman Frank Rizzo, regarding the smaller cities to receive grants.

"If I don't know where Las Cruces, New Mexico is, I doubt that a potential terrorist would either," said Rizzo, a member of the public safety committee. "It's called common sense to me that we need to fix the most vulnerable places first."

Of course, if Specter hadn't kept cutting the COPS program, this might not have been a problem.

See also the May 19, 2004 blog entry of which I'm a little proud.