MovingTarget
Diamond Member
- Jun 22, 2003
- 9,002
- 115
- 106
Partially Cut:
? $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)
(infrastructure - maintenance upgrade w/ long term cost savings)
? $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million) Not infrastructure.
Honorable, but not really stimulus. Bring on the axe.
? $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)
(not infrastructure, but Superfund cleanup does create jobs and improve living conditions)
? $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)
Depends as they do have a lot of infrastructure, such as the recently launched replacement sattelites. Not sure how much of this was to go to their infrastructure.
? $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)
If this involved building/installing relay towers, then it would be infrastructure. Otherwise, cut it.
? $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)
Infrastructure, long term cost savings, boon to private industry and American workers. WTF was this cut?
? $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)
To FBI? I would say cut it, but this is specifically for construction. Keep.
Fully Cut
? $55 million for historic preservation
This really is a lot of work. Not infrastructure, but it does put people to work so we can keep what we already have.
? $122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters
Infrastructure. Shipbuilding employs a LOT of people. Besides, our fleet is in need of a major refit and/or replacement.
? $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization
??? This is kind of vague. Cut it.
? $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
??? Research is good, but should be done directly with our universities. We can leave the states out of this.
? $65 million for watershed rehabilitation
...because we LOVE pollution! Seriously, it takes a lot of manpower to restore a wetland, which has huge impacts not only on the environment, but on local fisheries (read: industry).
? $100 million for distance learning
Cut it.
? $98 million for school nutrition
Cut it. This can better be solved by appropriate legislation regarding food sourcing and options.
? $50 million for aquaculture
An emerging industry. This will create a lot of jobs in the future, so why not?
? $2 billion for broadband
A big FU to those who didn't support this. Time to bring our internet policy back into the 20th century. Heck, without government intervention, we wouldn't even have basic phone service or electricity outside of the major cities.
? $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology
Cut it, but only sofar as it should be assigned to specific goals.
? $50 million for detention trustee
Cut it.
? $25 million for Marshalls Construction
Marshalls probably don't need this, but it is infrastructure.
? $300 million for federal prisons
We already have an overcrowding problem. It is infrastructure, so keep it, but the better way of alleviating this is to end the war on drugs.
? $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program
?? Education/research?
? $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program
See above.
? $10 million state and local law enforcement
Cut. See bolded parts for where real funding responsibility should come from. Besides, federal strings suck.
? $50 million for NASA
? $50 million for aeronautics
? $50 million for exploration
? $50 million for Cross Agency Support
I'll address these in a group. NASA is a MAJOR player in the research fields, employing a lot of people. They have a lot of infrastructure needs to accomodate space exploration that are in need of funding. We need to address the shuttle/constellation gap ASAP. Only a NASA running at full speed will get us where we as a nation and civilizaion where we need to go. Besides, the commercial space industry is in its infancy, and cooperation via COTS system is going to get them going very soon. Keep, and fund more.
? $200 million for National Science Foundation
Valuable asset to our society. Research in science and technology == jobs (current and future).
? $100 million for science
See above
? $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees
Loans. For. Infrastrucuture. Projects. Duh.
? $4.5 billion for General Services Administration
Cut.
? $89 million General Services Administration operations
Cut.
? $50 million from Department of Homeland Security
Cut. (unless this is for their buildings/office furniture, which does help industry)
? $200 million Transportation Security Administration
Unless they have some major project planned, this looks to be operations costs. Cut.
? $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use
Infrastructure. Again, shipbuilding creates a lot of jobs. Besides, the icebreaker fleet upgrade was already cut.
? $25 million for Fish and Wildlife
Something near and dear to me, but not infrastructure. Can be cut, but should be taken up elsewhere.
? $55 million for historic preservation
Again, restoration of historic structures creates jobs just like any infrastructure project.
? $20 million for working capital fund
?? Cut.
? $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement
Capital projects - creates jobs.
? $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management
Cut. Fund on as-needed basis.
? $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start
Education. These programs do wonders. Keep.
? $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity
Cut and address in upcoming healthcare bill we all know is coming.
? $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants
Infrastructure.
? $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)
Kill it. Kill it and make it die. Repeal NCLB. Seriously, as a supporter of education, kill that shit.
? $16 billion for school construction
Construction. Duh.
? $3.5 billion for higher education construction
See above.
? $1.25 billion for project based rental
? Cut.
? $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization
Cut.
? $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing
Construction and alleviation of cycles of poverty. Keep.
? $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)
Cut.
There ya go.
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