Philadelphia: Broke AND on Elevated Terrorism List. Coincidence?

PHILADELPHIA ELEVATED TO TIER 1 URBAN AREA BY HOMELAND SECURITY, WILL RECEIVE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE FUNDING

Philadelphia, December 8 – Philadelphia has been elevated from a Tier 2 Urban Area to a Tier 1 Urban Area as part of the Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant program for fiscal year 2010. UASI grant funds are used to address the unique multi-discipline planning, operations, equipment, training and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and help them prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism. The new designation will provide millions of dollars in additional grant funding. In fiscal year 2008, the Philadelphia Urban Area received approximately $18 million in Homeland Security Grant Program funds.

“We are pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has recognized the strategic importance of Philadelphia,” Mayor Michael A. Nutter said. “This new designation will allow Philadelphians to be better protected if and when an emergency strikes.”

Is it just me, or does this elevation, coming a day after Mayor Squidward went to DC with hat in hand, smell suspicious?

And this is a city that deactivated nearly a dozen fire companies it can't afford to maintain, but wants to be "better protected if and when an emergency strikes?" How about using that shiny, new grant money to re-open those firehouses and give them more state-of-the-art apparatus?