The National League of Cities' job number one is to advocate and lobby for the needs of people in America's cities, towns, and villages. Over the next several weeks, we are asking cities and towns across the nation to send police, fire and emergency service badges to President Bush to remind him that homeland security is about hometown security.

“The world learned on September 11 what we have known all along—that these badges are worn by men and women who will put their lives on the line to protect our citizens.”

We are asking the President to hold the badges in trust, and then keep them in gratitude upon passage of long-promised $ 3.5 billion in federal funding for first responders--those who risk their lives in the war on terrorism. And we are asking that the homeland security funding not come at the expense of programs like Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and Local Law Enforcement Block Grants, which have reduced crime in our communities.

The federal funding in question had been proposed by the President early this year to help local governments absorb the billions of dollars in additional public safety costs that were piling up in the months following the September 11 attacks on the nation. Cities and towns have spent unbudgeted local funds for tighter security for public facilities and utilities, airports and transportation systems, sports venues and myriad other places and events that must be safeguarded from terrorist acts. That's our job--and we have done it, no questions asked.

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To meet the local homeland security challenge, many cities and towns have had to shift personnel and funds away from basic public services--including public safety. A recent National League of Cities survey of 221 cities revealed that shifting resources to local homeland security has made it harder to perform regular public safety duties in one in four of all the cities and in more than half of large cities. One quarter of all cities and more than one-third of large cities say they will cut programs or services because of shifting resources to homeland security.

The bottom line: 15 months afar the terrorist attacks, and in the face of continuing terrorist threats, the front lines in the nation's domestic war on terrorism continue to be financed not with federal resources but by severely stretched local revenues. Now, as a nation and as the National League of Cities, we need to get the resources we need in place.

The badges, patches and other emblems we are sending the President are important symbols for all of us in local government--symbols of safety, security and trust. Like other leaders of America's cities and towns, I revere the badge worn by our men and women who patrol our streets and respond to emergencies. My own father was a police officer in the town where I now serve as mayor. His badge, framed and displayed in my office, is a constant reminder of his service and commitment.

The world learned on September 11 what we have known all along--that these badges are worn by men and women who will put their lives on the line to protect our citizens. We in America's cities and towns must continue to fight for homeland security funding, while at the same time protecting existing federal programs for public safety, transportation and other key priorities for our municipalities.

This will only happen if we all put ourselves on the line and take action. So let's make it happen.

Send a badge or patch from your police, fire or emergency response teams to the President. For a sample letter and the addresses you'll need, visit NLC's website at www.nlc.org. Then make sure you let us know what action you have taken.

Let the National League of Cities know who you know in Congress. We need to make our voice heard.

Send us ideas about how to get funding we need for homeland security and our other priorities. We need your inspiration and your involvement.

This is the way to make our hometowns and our homeland more secure. Let's make sure the President and Congress get the message.

© Copyright 2003, The National League of Cities.