- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
From CNN
On Monday, House Republican leaders put out a list of what they call wasteful provisions in the Senate version of the nearly $900 billion stimulus bill that is being debated:
? $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.
Hmmm. Whether it is efficient now or not is maybe not the point. How will we get to clean coal if we don't start somewhere first? The Germans have an operating (experimental) clean coal plant. Are we not as good as them?
? A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
I don't feel sorry for Spielberg & Co.
? $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
Snooze you lose. Transition on FEB 17, move passed GO and save $650 million!
? $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
This would save/create jobs if the boat is built in the USA, would it not? Ditto for the F22 Raptor production.
? $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
The current building is good enough for now. We can save $448 million.
? $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
See above. Fvck em.
? $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
How about rules that all drivers of public vehicles must cease from idling their engines for long periods of time?
When the Volt becomes available, perhaps the government should buy those?
I mean, I like the direction they want to go with this but now is not the time. Perhaps after some debe has been paid off?
? $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.
CDC are good folks. Why not spend this?
? $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
Waste disposal? What about recycling? Sounds like pork to me, but if it is recycling, then perhaps I could stand behind it.
? $125 million for the Washington sewer system.
What about our water system? Metro? What about half of the fire hydrants being broken in NW? I think there are higher priorities, but doesn't the DC government collect enough in taxes to think about funding this on their own?
? $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
I am all for culture but this can wait.
? $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
Might be necessary. An accurate counting is a good thing.
? $75 million for "smoking cessation activities."
Nope. We've had enough of this.
? $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
This can wait. Colleges should raise their own money.
? $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
Fvck that!
? $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.
On Monday, House Republican leaders put out a list of what they call wasteful provisions in the Senate version of the nearly $900 billion stimulus bill that is being debated:
? $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.
Hmmm. Whether it is efficient now or not is maybe not the point. How will we get to clean coal if we don't start somewhere first? The Germans have an operating (experimental) clean coal plant. Are we not as good as them?
? A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
I don't feel sorry for Spielberg & Co.
? $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
Snooze you lose. Transition on FEB 17, move passed GO and save $650 million!
? $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
This would save/create jobs if the boat is built in the USA, would it not? Ditto for the F22 Raptor production.
? $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
The current building is good enough for now. We can save $448 million.
? $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
See above. Fvck em.
? $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
How about rules that all drivers of public vehicles must cease from idling their engines for long periods of time?
When the Volt becomes available, perhaps the government should buy those?
I mean, I like the direction they want to go with this but now is not the time. Perhaps after some debe has been paid off?
? $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.
CDC are good folks. Why not spend this?
? $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
Waste disposal? What about recycling? Sounds like pork to me, but if it is recycling, then perhaps I could stand behind it.
? $125 million for the Washington sewer system.
What about our water system? Metro? What about half of the fire hydrants being broken in NW? I think there are higher priorities, but doesn't the DC government collect enough in taxes to think about funding this on their own?
? $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
I am all for culture but this can wait.
? $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
Might be necessary. An accurate counting is a good thing.
? $75 million for "smoking cessation activities."
Nope. We've had enough of this.
? $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
This can wait. Colleges should raise their own money.
? $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
Fvck that!
? $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.
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