Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Rep. Chocola (R-himself) Loves Serving Pork

By now most have seen Rep. Chocola's mailing claiming victory in the name of fiscal responsibility by prohibiting NASA from spending $20,000 on a performance artist. Apparently he knew he would need the money to dole out some whopping large slices of pork in the highway bill, though an awful lot of this money doesn't seem to be going to highways. Take a look:

$230,000,000 “Bridge to Nowhere” connecting Gravina Island (population: 50) with the Alaskan mainland.
$3,000,000 (est) a documentary about advancements in infrastructure in Alaska
$2,750,000 Renovate and expand the National Packard Museum and adjacent historic Packard facilities (Warren, Ohio)
$2,320,000 Will add landscaping enhancements along the Ronald Reagan Freeway Route 118 for aesthetic purposes (CA)
$2,000,000 Construction of a parking facility at the University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, Texas)
$1,800,000 Construct a visitor interpretive center at the Gray Fossil Site (Gray, Tennessee)
$1,200,000 Blue Ridge Music Center install lighting/steps, upgrade existing trail system and equip interpretative center with visitor information (VA)
$1,000,000 The Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Rt. 15, scenic corridor management planning and implementation, FY 2006 (Virginia)
$1,000,000 Restoration of the Van Cortlandt Manor Entrance near Croton (NY)
$960,000 Implement streetscape improvements on segments of Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood (CA)
$300,000 Complete heritage tourism work plans for communities along SR 6 (PA)

$245,000,000 for non-highway construction, and this is by no means a comprehensive list. We could pay everybody on that island in Alaska $2,000,000 a person and still come out ahead $130,000,000. And our highway, the Hoosier Heartland? $3,000,000. Not even enough to begin construction. How can he claim to be serving Hoosiers when he'll vote for a $235,000,000 bridge for 50 people but won't fight to build a highway?

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