The Washington Post’s Holly Watt files from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where heads of cities have united around the need for more federal money to fight crime. The mayors contend that since 9/11 too much federal money has been re-routed from urban crime prevention and response to the "war on terror." The mayor of Trenton, New Jersey argues that, "if Al Qaeda came into the country and was murdering 50 kids a day, we would have more money than we know what to do with."

It’s a fairly persuasive argument. One problem with the non-"war on terror" money that is spent is that the Dept. of Homeland Security and Justice Dept. has stressed enforcing immigration laws at the expense of dealing with other, often more violent, crimes. The emphasis on immigration is also unwelcome to many big city mayors who have more pressing problems than someone’s citizenship status.

In any case, hopefully the next administration can have a constructive urban agenda beyond rooting out Arab terrorist sleeper cells.-MB

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