Republicans listed what they thought was “wasteful spending” in the stimulus bill currently being debated.\u00a0 Here’s their logic:<\/p>\n
\u2022 $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.<\/p>\n
If the Dept. of Energy labels anything “inefficient” it probably is. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.<\/p>\n I don’t get it either. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.<\/p>\n I didn’t get a coupon, did you?\u00a0 Oh wait.\u00a0 I don’t need one.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).<\/p>\n Manufacturing creates jobs. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.<\/p>\n Again, construction creates jobs.\u00a0 It’s stimulus. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.<\/p>\n \u2022 $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.<\/p>\n Uh, hell no. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD’s.<\/p>\n \u2022 $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.<\/p>\n \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t \t \t \t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t \t \t \t \t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t \t \t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t \t \t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t \t \t \u2022 $125 million for the Washington sewer system.<\/p>\n \u2022 $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.<\/p>\n I don’t see how this is creating jobs.\u00a0 Sounds like stimulus for inside the beltway to me. <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.<\/p>\n \u2022 $75 million for “smoking cessation activities.”<\/p>\n Will save on health costs.\u00a0 Should be included. <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.<\/p>\n Not a bad idea. <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.<\/p>\n \u2022 $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.<\/p>\n \u2022 $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n \u2022 $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.<\/p>\n \u2022 $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings.<\/p>\n \u2022 $500 million for state and local fire stations.<\/p>\n \u2022 $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.<\/p>\n If you live in CA this would be a plus. <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs.<\/p>\n \u2022 $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.<\/p>\n \u2022 $412 million for CDC buildings and property.<\/p>\n \u2022 $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.<\/p>\n A half a billion dollars for “repairs”?\u00a0 Seriously? <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service.<\/p>\n \u2022 $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.<\/p>\n \u2022 $850 million for Amtrak.<\/p>\n Long overdue.\u00a0 We need to upgrade our rail systems now. <\/font><\/em><\/p>\n \u2022 $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.<\/p>\n \u2022 $75 million to construct a “security training” facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.<\/p>\n \u2022 $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.<\/p>\n So they can disburse those subsidies to millionaires and corporate farms more efficiently. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022 $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.<\/p>\n Because every man in uniform wants to drive a Prius. <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Republicans listed what they thought was “wasteful spending” in the stimulus bill currently being debated.\u00a0 Here’s their logic: \u2022 $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. If the Dept. of Energy labels anything … Continue reading The GOP smells…. waste.<\/span>