Posted on 12/23/2010 7:09:11 PM PST by VRWCTexan
But the modernization isn't likely to be carried out in anything like a rational, cost-effective way..... It will likely include more than $6 billion dollars for a uranium processing facility, to be built at the Y-12 weapons compound in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.....
Indeed, the states' two GOP senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, both said that money for modernization -- and therefore, in all likelihood, pork for their district -- was a key condition of their support.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Lenin said capitalists will sell us the rope to hang them with.
While they were out gladhanding Obama and his running dog lackeys Census wrapped up its stuff and all at once there are other places more deserving.
Tennessee ping
Vile! Disgusting! Despicable! Infuriating!
These utter scumbags sell out American security for pork -- meaning their own reelection hopes -- despite the resounding rebuke handed to the Republicans this election for just such pork barrel politics!
Arguably treasonous!!!
Can anything more aptly demonstrate the contempt these bastards feel for the American public?
This little greedy grab needs to be stopped in the House. These guys never learn. As far as they are concerned, its business as usual with our taxpayer dollars.
The Y-12 National Security Complex has been in Tennessee since, well, the Manhattan Project. It is a lot more logical to modernize it rather than moving it to "somewhere more diserving." Call it pork if you will, but the nation's production facilities need to be upgraded and maintained after years of abuse and neglect during Bush 1 and Clinton.
Corker is up in 2012, Alexander in 2014. Both these guys need to go. This crap about pork over this nation’s security needs to stop! It’s fine to work to get jobs, but not over what’s right for the country. If the “establishment Republicans” think they can continue with business as usual, I believe they will find out that they are mistaken.
Could be, but a totally new facility SOMEWHERE ELSE is needed.
Yes, it makes sense for the work to be done there but it is work that needs to be done whether or not there is a treaty. The new House might have gotten it done and certainly the new administration in two years would get it done. To sell out National Security in the process is inexcusable.
I agree with you. I’ve been surprised that Chu and Obama have been supportive of modernizing the nuclear weapons infrastructure, although it would need to be modernized whether they are being built or torn down. Still, the tone of the article seems like the writer is saying that the TN senators are literally selling their votes. I think many in DC would agree that having a reliable weapons production complex would be a condition of their support. I’m not convinced that their motives are as sinister as the writer is suggesting.
That would make no sense whatsoever. Dislike the senators if you choose, but relocating a facility like Y-12 or Pantex or LANL would be insanely expensive and would take decades to complete. Tearing down and cleaning up the old sites would cost even more.
So, the Administration will need to propose building a new facility and see if the House will fund it. If the Administration is unwilling to fund a new facility elsewhere, then the House shouldn't fund improvements for which those two Senators sold their votes.
Who is “more worthy?” You have a state with 5000 or so idle techical people with security clearances ready to go to work after a 50 Billion dollar 10-15 year construction campaign? Where is this place?
What you are proposing is weakening our national defense for political reasons. Maintaining the nation’s nuclear stockpile may sound like pork to you, but to destroy the ability to maintain and upgrade the stockpile because you think two senators voted for the wrong reason? You can’t be serious.
Respectfully, I don’t think you know as much about this issue as you think. Lots of reasons not to like Corker and Alexander. This isn’t one of them.
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