Better late than never

Washington Post: In retrospect, it is truly amazing how fast the Department of Homeland Security, set up in 2003 to protect the nation from another Sept. 11 terrorist attack, deteriorated into yet another vehicle for the distribution of federal pork. In large part, the speed of this metamorphosis resulted from Congress insisting that homeland security funding be distributed according to formulas designed to ensure that each state and each congressional district received a slice, regardless of genuine threats. But it also happened because DHS failed to establish strict criteria for what constituted a real terrorist "risk" to a particular city or industry.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's announcement of a change in the way his department distributes money to cities is a very big step in the right direction. Originally set up to help seven cities considered to be at especially high risk -- New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston -- the urban security program soon expanded, first to 30, then to 50. Mr. Chertoff has now cut back the number to 35 metropolitan areas and, more important, is requiring the authorities in each of them to apply for funding and prove they can make good use of the money. These grants, he stated, are "not party favors to be distributed as widely as possible."
Just because Mr. Chertoff has made this announcement does not, of course, mean that he will be able to implement a strict, risk-based strategy. If "loser" cities react as they have in the past, they will certainly try to wangle that funding back by lobbying their members of Congress or the administration. Both DHS and Congress must remain determined to stick to real security criteria in their distribution of money.