Eradicating harmful underground networks seems to be the latest trend. The epitome of this movement is the military action in Afghanistan and the anti-terrorism attitude throughout the world. Contributing is a new war breeding deep within anti-graffiti organizations and city beautification bureaus around the world. The front line is everywhere, making an efficient method of removing graffiti priceless to cities throughout the world. However, this new battleground presents a problem: what method works the best? The cities of New York and Philadelphia have established two different means of removing graffiti. The Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network (PAGN) was formed in January of 1984 by Mayor W. Wilson Goode, and combines four anti-graffiti programs: Graffiti Abatement Teams, Paint Voucher Program, Mural Arts Program, and Urban Artscape. (City of Philadelphia) The mayor of New York City, Mayor Giuliani, initiated the Mayor's Anti-Graffiti Task Force in July of 1995. The merits of both programs can be compared using the differences in cost, equipment, and employees each program uses.
             One important issue is how much each program costs. Through the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, the city of Philadelphia has grown to invest as much as three million dollars a year on graffiti removal. This cost rose 100% between 1998 and 1999, proving that PAGN's budget will rise inevitably. Similarly, New York spends an average three million dollars on graffiti removal. However, adding to this cost is the sophisticated graffiti-removal vehicle developed by the New York City Department of Sanitation. The City of New York approximates the vehicle cost at $90,000, as well as the initial $44,692 invested during the development stages. Overall, the cost of removing graffiti provides a level comparison of the two cities. Although both cities spend three million dollars annually, New York's budget increases with the
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