Posted on 03/03/2009 10:44:47 PM PST by Maelstorm
Lawmakers say the government needs a $410 billion package to cover all non-defense government spending until the end of September. But included therein are $7.7 billion worth of earmarks.
Some highlights of the earmark list include some broad categories:
Feeling green
The bill being considered in the Senate has hundreds of millions of dollars in green projects aimed at improving the environment and saving energy. The money would be distributed across the country in hundreds of initiatives, from a $142,725 line item for plug-in cars in Las Vegas, to $3.8 million for a renewable energy development venture in Hawaii. Democrats and Republicans alike sponsored these earmarks.
$951,000 for the Oregon Solar Highway project, which was added by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. The money would fund a new program that aims to help power the lights along Oregon’s interstate system via solar panels.
$475,000 for New Jersey to research energy production through anaerobic digestion, or animal waste, which was put in the bill by Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg, both Democrats who represent the state.
$951,000 was added to the bill by Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, and Tom Harkin, a Democrat, for a “green power” initiative in their state.
King of the road
Road funding earmarks constitute another large chunk of directed spending in the bill. One of the most expensive projects was inserted by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who has earmarked more money overall in the bill for his state — $122 million — than any other senator.
$9.5 million for Corridor H, the partly completed, 148-mile highway project that runs from central West Virginia to Northern Virginia was Byrd’s biggest largess for his home state.
$5.7 million was added to the bill for an off-ramp in Honolulu by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who is the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Living things
Lawmakers seem to have a penchant for earmarking money for plant- and animal-related projects. Harkin has already drawn fire for a $1.7 earmark to study why pig waste smells so bad. But other senators are appropriating in the name of animals and plants.
$1.05 million to control Mormon crickets in Utah, added by Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah.
$6.6 million added by Louisiana Sens. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, and David Vitter, a Republican, to research termites in New Orleans.
$303,000 for wild rice in St. Paul, courtesy of Minnesota’s Senate delegation.
$1.9 million for the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., came from Maryland Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, both Democrats.
$2.2 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in Geneva, N.Y., was inserted by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Say it ain’t so Joe, Say it ain’t so...
does anyone know ?
is there a possiblity they could slip away to foriegn lands ?
sort of a worldwide leftist re-distribution of wealth ?
"the rest of the world will not stand for us keeping our homes a 70 degrees and driving big SUV's" ....Obama campaign speech'08
Well, according to Obami, Joe "The Tiger" will be overseeing all expenses and make sure no tax-payer funds are wasted.
You believe that? Right?
The earmarks are the very least of the problems with the “spending package,” the same for the “stimulus” and the “bailout.” Society is in a hole and is still digging and the Democrats are around the hole also digging like mad and throwing the dirt back into the hole on top of society as society delves deeper still. There is a tombstone in a crate nearby.
The spending package has $410 billion in earmarks.
Zerobama has my head spinning. He’s spending, then he’s not, spending, then not.
Obama to outline plan to cut wasteful spending http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_waste
Now, not. What a moron.
Makes me wonder who’s really running the show. I have this mental picture of him in the Oval (how ‘bout that - oval/zero) Office receiving proposals from his advisers, him saying “yeah, that’s great - do it”, and NO ONE is keeping track of what’s in the out basket, and how STUPID it all looks to the public. Maybe I’m missing something but it sure looks to me like he says something one day, then a week later says something else that cancels or renigs on what he said the week before.
Obama is constantly blaming the conservatives for our economic problems but he’s at the helm now.
It’s Obama’s Economy and its been sinking since he was elected!
I don’t think Obama knows what he doing and its easier to blame others for his own incompetence than taking responsibility for his actions.
This is typical liberal stinkin’ thinking.
We need leadership....we need to get our act together and stop being intimidated by these goons.
We need to get a spine ASAP!
We need to get our house and senate back into good bedrock conservatism or we will run this ship aground with disasterous results.
We need adults here....not support a OJT POTUS!
They eat wood. There, I just saved you $6.6m. Nice job, Vitter.
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