President Bush and Congress rallied to New York City's side in the dark days after 9/11 by committing $21.4 billion to spark a recovery from the monstrously damaging terror strike against America. The display of solidarity was, and remains, deeply appreciated.
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Now, four years have passed and the Daily News is publishing a series that is the first attempt to account for how the federal 9/11 money was spent. The sixth installment is in today's paper. The product of four months of investigation, the articles prompted Rep. Pete King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, to order a probe. There have also been rebuttals from top state officials. Numerous points of view are presented on our preceding page and across the way.
The debate engendered by The News' examination is long overdue. The nation must be assured that New York, a city that needs proper anti-terror funding, is not a special pleader, and neither do we give ourselves a pass for blown calls. That's why it's important that King, a New Yorker by way of Long Island, has picked up the cudgels. He is starting off on the precisely right note. Writes King:
"Kickbacks, payoffs, mob contracts, payments to undeserving firms and businesses - all this and more must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable. Not only for the sake of justice and the memory of those who died, but to show that this immoral and illegal conduct was the exception and not the rule."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/373612p-317644c.html