Anti-terrorism funds to be spread around

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal anti-terrorism funding to Ohio will be cut, with large deductions for four big cities that must share their reduced allotment for the first time with surrounding towns, the Homeland Security Department announced Wednesday.
The $26.1 million distributed to Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus and Cleveland in 2005 will be cut by a third to $17.6 million this year and spread among the larger urban areas. The cities use the money to help pay for police and fire departments, emergency communication systems and disaster response teams.
Leaders in Ohio said they couldn't understand why vital programs would not continue to receive adequate funding, particularly when the federal government had limited its urban grants to the places facing the highest risk.
Columbus will see the most significant cut, from a state-high $7.6 million last year to $4.3 million this year for the larger urban area, a 43-percent drop.
"The people in D.C. probably think we're some small town in the Midwest, but we have major institutions and we're the 15th-largest city in the country, and time and again we're being told do it yourself, best of luck," said Mike Brown, spokesman for Mayor Michael Coleman.
Another pool of money that the state distributes to local governments and other programs also will be cut. That money is used for gathering intelligence, planning for medical crises and educating residents on how to be prepared for emergencies.