NEW YORK OFFICIALS, along with the New York Times and other media, recently blasted Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff for announcing cuts in anti-terror funding to New York City. Instead of the $208 million given last year, the city will receive $124 million.

In response, an irritated Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared his city the most at risk. “When you stop a terrorist,” he explained, “they have a map of New York City in their pocket. They don’t have a map of any of the other 46 or 45 places.” Representative Peter King labeled the reduction “indefensible and disgraceful,” and went so far as to threaten the Department of Homeland Security: “It’s a knife in the back of New York, and I’m going to do everything I can to make them very sorry they made this decision.” Senator Hillary Clinton followed suit by calling the cuts “outrageous” and stating that they “demonstrate this administration’s continued failure to grasp the unique security threats that face New York.” Senator Chuck Schumer scoffed at the announcement with a hint of big-city condescension: “Georgia got a 40 percent increase. Somehow this administration thinks that Georgia peanut farmers are more at risk than the Empire State Building.”