New York Sees a Silver Lining in the Orange Alert

As ominous as the recent nationwide terror alerts are, New York City officials hope there is a silver lining. The confusion that has ensued may help the state’s lawmakers and officials bolster the case they have been trying to make for months: that the city remains vulnerable and that the federal government is not doing enough about it. Most of last year’s debate in Congress over homeland security focused on how to rearrange the federal government to respond to terrorism. Now, lawmakers will be consumed with the thorny task of deciding where federal money for homeland security will go, as cities complain that previous promises have not been met. “We took a hit here for America,” said New York’s police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, referring to the World Trade Center. “As far as protecting for the future, so far we’re going it alone.” Full Story