MI Senators ask for $20 million to save lighthouses

AP ^ | 9-28-08 | AP

[mombyprofession]

Levin, Stabenow seek lighthouse grant program

Posted: Sep 28, 2008 07:29 AM

Updated: Sep 28, 2008 07:39 AM

DETROIT (AP) -- Michigan's senators want to create a federal program to help pay for the preservation of historic lighthouses.

U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have introduced a bill to let states and nonprofit organizations apply for competitive grants to restore and maintain lighthouses.

The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20 million a year for three years. Funds would be distributed based on the percentage of historic lighthouses in each state.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state.

The bill was introduced Wednesday and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[mombyprofession]

I am a fan of preserving history, that's fine, but why federal money, and WHY NOW???

[SumProVita]

The answer should be NO. They need to get off their butts and raise private money.

[VanDeKoik]

Sell them. Plenty of people would like to own a lighthouse as a personal home.

[Onerom99]

Levin and Stabenow should be arrested for treason.

[blu]

The answer should be NO. They need to get off their butts and raise private money.

This has been done for our local lighthouses. We, the folks who live around them, maintain them and raise funds for their upkeep. Sorry, Carl, you'll have to go without your pork for this election!

[shiva]

U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow ....how much are they donating?....... each?

[FlingWingFlyer]

I imagine that the patriotic taxpayers of Michigan wouldn’t mind a tax increase to get this done. The rest of us are busy with the lowlife “bailout.”

[EQAndyBuzz]

There is already a program for lighthouses. Any one can buy a lighthouse. However you have to restore it to as close as its original state as possible.

[SumProVita]

Exactly! There are lots of people who would love to contribute to saving such treasures of history. It should not, however, be the role of the government to do this.

[freespirited]

This would be a far better use of Ford Foundation money than what they usually spend it on (left-wing “educational” psychobabble).

Perhaps MI Freepers could suggest to Stabenow and Levin that they seek help from the auto industry foundations.

[silverleaf]

ask why it’s got to cost the govt $20 million dollars to SELL defunct lighthouses to private individuals?

Maybe we ought to keep them and put windmills on top, that might be worth our tax dollars

[mombyprofession]

Is there no end?

[refermech]

This kind of crap has got to stop.

[SECURE AMERICA]

Michigan’s senators want to create a federal program to help pay for the preservation of historic lighthouses.

Let’s see, Michagan has no jobs for their citizens, their capital is a shithole all but taken over by the Islamists and they want Federal money for lighthouses????
No wonder the American people rate Congress in the low teens............

[mass55th]

"The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20 million a year for three years."

That means $60 million over three years, not $20 million. They can punt.

[nobamanada]

Obambi’s Detroit rally was just on FOX, he was talking about how Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow “fight for you.” Ah huh

[Leisler]

The lighthouses will be useful as Muslim minurets when Detroitistan expands.

[just me]

Maybe Stabenow’s husband could donate some of the money he has sit aside for hookers.

[RC2]

They see it as easy money. Our Congress uses our money as though we don’t work for it. Our tax system needs to be changed so that the only money raised is support our military and few other programs.

[kcvl]

PRIVATE investments should do that, NOT THE GOVERNMENT!

We have an historical organization that does exactly that. Not one dime comes from the government so why should they be ‘special’?

[Beowulf9]

Why now? Because if Obama gets elected the money is given, and who knows WHERE it will really go.

Pork is THE menu for the Obama Whitehouse.

His ‘presidential seal’

His ‘greek temple’

Like Henry VIII he’ll really knows how to throw a party.

[LiberConservative]

The audacity of these two. We're getting ready to fork out a $700B+ bailout and they're asking for more federal money to pay for lighthouses?!

[SumProVita]

I am CONVINCED that if ordinary Americans don’t rise up and effectively take back the control of their own government....that they have no room for complaint. It will take nothing less to get any REAL change.

BIG government does not serve; it consumes.

[MozarkDawg]

Our tax system needs to be changed so that the only money raised is support our military and few other programs.

I've been saying for years now, only the five items outlined in the Preamble and that's it.

[kcvl]

ROFLOL!

Thomas Athans, the husband of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow had paid $150 per hour to Alycia Martin, the hooker who had oral sex with him at a hotel. Alycia Martin was supposedly contacted by the husband of Debbie Stabenow through an online ad.

Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by Troy, Mich. police who were investigating prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.

“This is very disturbing and serious. Obviously, it’s a deeply difficult and personal matter,” Stabenow said, according to a statement from her office.

Police arrested Alycia Lorraine Martin, 20, in the hotel room on a charge of prostitution and confiscated a cell phone, laptop and $431. Martin told cops that she was a stripper who had only been “doing this for one week.”

The Smoking Gun

Troy Police Department report

Athans, who married Stabenow, a second-term Democrat from Michigan, in 2003, is founder of TalkUSA Radio, a liberal radio network.

[Bommer]

ask why it’s got to cost the govt $20 million dollars to SELL defunct lighthouses to private individuals?

Whoa! Whoa! This isn't going to cost $20 million. This is going to cost $60 million, and on a pilot program no less.

The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20 million a year for three years.

[Twinkie]

“They need to get off the butts and raise private money.”

Every location in the Union has historical sites that are sacrosanct to the local people, and nice to have and all that; however, I agree, if the private sector is not interested in having bake sales and other fund raising things, then perhaps the sacred cows of the preservation-minded people may not really be as worthy of being saved as they portray. Too many golden geese have been given to these projects from the government. People are sick of it.

[GoldenPup]

Levin, Stabenow seek lighthouse grant program

More Democrats with their hand out...palm up...Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. Typical Leftist BS. These lighthouses aren't aids to navigation anymore...return the sites to nature. Gimme, Gimme, my Butt!!!

[SandRat]

Figures.. from MI Sens Karl Lenin and Debbie Stab-em (Taxpayer) -now.

[GoldenPup]

Forgot to add to previous post...

Whose brother-in-law or cousin or nephew or neice or relative is in line for the maintenance contracts if the money is granted? Probably closer to "home" than we think.

[FES0844]

They have no shame.

[mombyprofession]

Exactly. We also have a GOVERNMENT program to fund this already thru the Secretary of State. Have you seen the license plates with lighthouses on them? Yeah. The extra money is supposed to go this cause.

[FreedomHammer]

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” - Benjamin Franklin

[Republic]

calling Sarah Palin....

[DPMD]

Did you say donating? I’m wondering what their “fee” is in the form of “campaign contributions.”

[Think free or die]

Michigan’s lighthouses are a lovely part of the state’s history and I’d like to see them preserved. Tourism is an important industry in Michigan, and lighthouses are part of it. I’d applaud private efforts to raise funds for their preservation. On the other hand, if Michigan taxpayers want to tax themselves to pay for it, they’re welcome to do that too. While I grew up in Michigan and am very fond of it, I see no reason I should pay to fix up its lighthouses when I live in Pennsylvania.

[Darren McCarty]

Lighthouses are important and a great part of Michigan's history, but this is not the time or place for more federal funding that does not exist.

[Darren McCarty]

I will also be voting for Jack Hoogendyk to stop this pork madness.

Jack for Michigan! Defeat Levin

[Chickensoup]

Hold a flipping bake sale.

[TexasNative2000]

I guess this would be the ‘lightbeam to nowhere?’