Tuesday, February 3, 2009

GOP's Taste of the Waste

But only about halfway. They've released a listing today of what they consider to be pork, and it's nicely extensive.

I can assure you there's much, much more, and will let you in on it as soon as I can finish up with my new spreadsheet!

Here's the GOP's taste of the waste:

• $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.

2 comments:

  1. Half of your "wasteful" initiatives provide much needed job creation, improve the failing infrastructure, and hello, what happened to "drill, baby, drill?" Since the polar ice caps are melting, shouldn't we get in on that action? Republicans amaze me.

    Oh wait, God's taking care of that, right? The job creation, infrastructure and global warming - not to mention healthcare and, you know, FOOD for children whose parents have lost their jobs. Is God handling that, too? Thanks for the lack of information.

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  2. I'm not sure where you'll ever find me touting God as a solution to anything.

    What did happen to "drill baby drill?" There's NOTHING in the bill for it.

    Last I checked, the only one cashing in on the fallacious global warming hysteria was Al Gore with his carbon trading scheme.

    Feel free to readress your previous diatribe by thinking about what you'd like to write, and examining it to make sure it makes sense before you hit the button next time.

    Thanks.

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