• $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.
• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
• $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
• $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD’s.
• $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
• $125 million for the Washington sewer system.
• $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
• $75 million for “smoking cessation activities.”
• $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
• $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
• $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.
• $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.
• $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.
• $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings.
• $500 million for state and local fire stations.
• $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.
• $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs.
• $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.
• $412 million for CDC buildings and property.
• $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.
• $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.
• $850 million for Amtrak.
• $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.
• $75 million to construct a “security training” facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.
• $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.
• $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.
It’s hard to look at this list and not view it as a massive Democratic political payout to a number of special interest groups. It could be argued that some of these initiatives would be good for the country but now is not the time. Moreover, they have no place in a so-called stimulus package meant to get this economy back on track as quickly and efficiently as possible.
It’s a shame that Reid, Pelosi, Frank, and other Democratic leaders chose to take advantage of this bill to push their own partisan agenda. They are there to serve the people, not themselves and their Party. Maybe any other time but this is the worst time to play politics as usual.
The ones I bolded seem like good ideas that would save us money and create jobs. The rest I agree are wasteful and not needed at this time.
I’m with the GOP on the excess of pork in this stimulus and need Obama to explain what the purpose of some of these programs are.
Please get Randy off my dashboard! Once again, this could just go back and forth forever based on opinion (same for you, Soup!). What about the Department of Homeland Security budget increase is better than upping the budget to train foreign service officers? Why is Amtrak, a rail line in desperate need of infrastructural repair, “porkbarrel spending?” Why is CDC spending considered a “democratic agenda?”
I’m definitely not sold on this 100% and think Obama has a lot of explaining to do, but how about comprimise, coming to the table with ideas instead of a simple Republican no-vote-cockblock of the entire thing and just advocating for increased military-industrial spending (which is what Banking Committee, Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas was HARD pressing during Meet the Press this weekend - full transcript). Yeah, good idea guys, more military spending! The American people totally want more war and money going overseas! You’ve really been listening!
One more addition: on the “this is not the time to play politics as usual” line - right, you mean like going to meet with the other party to try and come up with concessions? Oh, right, we did that, but apparently Republicans are more interested in playing “politics as usual” by holding out on their own agendas and not considering bi-partisan legislation. That is all. :-)
3 years ago