Secretary's remark riles public transit.

In the aftermath of the bombings in the London underground, the typical response from a federal department head is normally predictable--something similar to "We are doing all we can to prevent such tragedies from occurring on our shores."

Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, took a more honest tack in an Associated Press interview that has inspired a torrent of criticism from state, local and federal officials. It also exposed simmering disputes over the amount of money dedicated to airline security versus other modes.

During the interview, Chertoff said his department focuses on attacks that would produce the highest number of casualties. "The truth of the matter is, a fully loaded airplane with jet fuel, a commercial airliner, has the capacity to kill 3,000 people," he said. "A bomb in a subway car may kill 30 people. When you start to think about your priorities, you're going to think about making sure you don't have a catastrophic thing first."

He also noted that commercial aviation is purely the responsibility of the federal government, whereas state and local entities control most other kinds of mass transportation.

Chertoff's comments fit an oft-repeated motto at the department: "DHS must base its work on priorities, driven by risk."

However, applying the concept in a straightforward way in the wake of a terrorist bombing produced a steady backlash from mayors, congressional leaders and the American Public Transportation Association, which "condemned" the remarks.

"To say that a terrorist attack on a subway is less important than an attack using a commercial airline is another example of how the federal government treats the millions of public transportation riders as second class citizens when it comes to security," the organization said in a statement. "Paying to protect American citizens, including transit riders, from terrorist attacks is the responsibility of the federal government."

According to association figures, between September 11, 2001, and May 31, 2005, aviation security has received $18.1 billion from the federal government, while public transportation has only been allocated $250 million.

Members of Congress also chimed in, setting the stage for a funding showdown. The Senate passed a homeland security spending measure that rejected a $1.16 billion mass transit security plan, choosing instead to fund a $100 million proposal. The bill is headed to a bicameral conference committee for debate.

The fiscal year 2006 funding bill passed by the Senate would allocate $5.05 billion for securing transportation, with the bulk of it going towards the airline industry.

Complaints came from cities which themselves have been the focus of criticisms. For example, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he "couldn't disagree more" with the comment. Yet, New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority has not yet earmarked $200 million in federal money for specific security projects. The MTA is slated to receive an additional $495 million in federal money over the next five years.