Ok, McCain's first.
John McCain has proposed the following earmarks for fiscal 2008
$0
Barak Obama has proposed the following earmarks for fiscal 2008
Adler Planetarium, to support replacement of its projector and related equipment, $3,000,000
One of its most popular attractions and teaching tools at the Adler Planetarium is the Sky Theater. The projection equipment in this theater is 40 years old, and is no longer supported with parts or service by the manufacturer. It has begun to fail, leaving the theater dark and groups of school students and other interested museum-goers without this very valuable and exciting learning experience.
AIDSCARE, Inc., for general operating support, $750,000
AIDSCARE is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization that provides housing and care for homeless children, families and adults living with advanced HIV/AIDS in the Chicago Area.
AIDSCARE, Inc., for completion of the North Lawndale Campus, $2,000,000
Upon its completion, the North Lawndale campus will offer 66 units of service-enriched housing for low-income and homeless individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS; an onsite Health Facility and Wellness Center for residents and other members of the community; and an 8,693-square-foot multi-purpose community center.
Aledo, IL, to support its replacement of two aging water towers, $750,000
Two aging 150,000-gallon water towers require replacement. The towers' water pressure is chronically low, and its supply is unreliable. Average daily use for the towers is 420,000 gallons.
American Red Cross of Illinois, for emergency preparedness, $5,000,000
Funding will assist in providing 29 chapters and 3 blood service regions of the American Red Cross with the resources to be able to deliver mass care services in a timely matter in the event of a large-scale disaster. Funding will be used for equipment such as backup generators, shelter trailers, shelter supplies, stockpile cots, heater meals, response vehicles, and communications devices. This equipment will be strategically placed throughout the state, and will allow the Red Cross to serve requests by hospitals and trauma requests immediately and up to 72 hours.
American Theater Company, for the construction of a new facility in Logan Square, $200,000
In the heart of Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, American Theater Company (ATC) will build an 11,000 square foot theater complex using green construction standards that will provide a state-of-the-art experience for its artists and patrons. The theater will serve as a commercial and cultural hub for this diverse and growing neighborhood, welcoming audiences from within and outside of the community. It will be a home for the development of new American works and re-imagined classic American plays, and a center for the development of new talent.
Army Corps of Engineers in the Chicago District of Illinois, to support permanent construction of the Asian Carp Barrier, $7,500,000
The State of Illinois has been working closely with the Chicago District and other Great Lakes agencies at both the federal and state level to keep Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes through the Chicago Waterway system. Funding will fulfill a Project Cooperation Agreement with the Corps to construct a second, more effective and permanent electrical barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
Army Corps of Engineers in the Chicago District of Illinois, to support Operations and Maintenance of the permanent Asian Carp Barrier, $1,000,000
Funding the operation and maintenance of the Asian Carp Barrier is essential to prevent the introduction of Asian Carp, primarily Silver and Bighead Carp, into the Great Lakes ecosystem. The value of the Great Lakes fishery is estimated at around $4.5 billion/year, and experts have predicted that Asian Carp, if allowed to become established in the Great Lakes, would have devastating effects on important fish species such as Lake Trout, Perch and Salmon. An additional and very important benefit from the operation of this barrier is that it will still allow unimpeded navigation between the Illinois Waterway and Great Lakes.
Army Corps of Engineers in the City of Rock Island, to support construction of Sunset Marina Harbor Entrance Improvements, $500,000
The Sunset Marina Harbor Entrance Study, prepared by the Army Corps of Engineers, concluded that it would be cost effective to protect the harbor entrance by constructing an emergent dike. This new structure would deflect much of the silt past the entrance and reduce the harbor dredging frequency from about once every 3 years to once every 7 years.
Army Corps of Engineers in Illinois, to support project UMR-IWW System Navigation Study, IL, IA, MN, MO, & WI, $24,000,000
Pre-Construction Engineering & Design (PED) of seven new 1,200-foot lock chambers and ecosystem restoration. Timely PED work for navigation is consistent with a recent study indicating that without new 1,200-foot lock chambers at the identified seven locations, American farmers stand to lose over $562 million annually in lost exports and domestic demand by 2020. Manufacturers and consumers also stand to lose from deteriorating infrastructure on our " Third Coast" in addition to the 400,000 jobs sustained by this transportation corridor. Construction of these new lock chambers will create at least 48 million man-hours, or up to 6,000 construction jobs each year, providing immediate economic benefits through high-skilled labor, and spurring much-needed economic growth that has historically occurred through investing in our lock and dam infrastructure.
Aurora University, to the Center for Latino Leadership and Education, $400,000
Funding would establish a family-focused after school bilingual program for Latino families that would promote academic preparation and college readiness within an underserved population.
Benedictine University in Lisle, for the First Responder Program – An Education Initiative for Public Safety Officers and Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans, $1,750,000
Currently, Benedictine offers secondary education degree programs to firefighters, who pay only for their textbooks; the University has absorbed all other costs. This project would expand the program to include Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and first responders throughout Illinois, allowing police, firemen, and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans throughout Illinois to receive a free education from Benedictine University.
Carpentersville, IL, for the Carpentersville Community Response Team, $500,000
To address the growing influence of gang activity in the Village of Carpentersville, the police department created the Community Response Team. This team is a unique, mulit-faceted approach to address the public's concerns through intervention, education and strict enforcement.
Carthage, IL, to develop the Illinois 336 Corridor Carthage Exchange, $1,350,000
This utilities expansion project would enable Memorial Hospital to expand its healthcare campus and would also attract economic development in the area. The hospital is currently developing land acquisition, architectural, and financing plans to for the construction of a new hospital and medical office building, which will help Memorial Hospital better serve the community. In addition to enabling this hospital's expansion, the utilities expansion project would also enable and attract further development in the area.
Center for Advanced Design, Research, and Exploration (CADRE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, for development of rapid wound healing therapies, $4,800,000
Funding will assist CADRE in the research and development of therapies to promote rapid wound healing, lessen infection, reduce bleeding and scarring, and reduce operational medical costs using Light Emitting Diodes and directed energy/radio-frequency therapies. CADRE's developments will be extremely critical in managing patients both in theater and those affected by homeland disasters and will potentially allow immediate response to wound healing, lessen infection and scaring, and reduce operation and medical costs.
Center for Advanced Design, Research, and Exploration (CADRE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to develop a hand-held device used in combat, $2,000,000
This device will be able to detect and identify selected energy emissions, biomarkers, chemical and biological signatures; LEP goggles to block high intensity laser radiation while allowing low intensity light transmission for day and night vision. The device will be connected via a global positioning data link for immediate assessment, medical evaluation, and treatment decision-making, allowing the device to access and communicate with various operational, medical, and Defense databases.
Channahon, IL, for road upgrades, $12,000,000
Upgrades include rebuilding the Interstate 55 and U.S. Route 6 Interchange with an eight lane bridge deck and relocated frontage roads.
Chicago Children's Advocacy Center, for Facility Improvements, Renovations, and Expansion of the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center for child abuse support services, $500,000
Funding will assist the Center in building a 51,000 square foot, two-story addition adjacent to its existing facility. The new building will create the additional space needed for the professionals who work on child physical abuse cases as well as the space needed for expanded mental health and social support services. When complete, the Center anticipates that is expanded facility will allow it to serve 1,500 to 2,000 children suspected of physical abuse each year, in addition to the child sexual abuse cases it is already handling.
Chicago Children's Museum, for the construction of a new Chicago Children's Museum facility, $1,000,000
CCM is poised to begin construction of a new facility in Daley Bicentennial Plaza in Grant Park. This proposed construction would provide greater access and visibility for visitors, enhanced programming and coordination with area museums, and a valuable family resource for the neighborhood's growing residential community. Given current space limitations, this construction is integral to CCM's mission of effectively serving the families, children and communities of Chicago.
Chicago Children's Museum, for its Community Health and Wellness Initiatives, $300,000
The Chicago Children's Museum's "Initiatives" were developed in response to growing child health problems such as obesity and asthma, particularly among children from low-income, isolated, African-American and Latino communities. These Initiatives aim to promote health and wellness to children, families, and caregivers through health fairs and child screenings that are part of CCM's weekly Free Family Night events. Attracting over 500,000 visitors a year, CCM is ideally suited as a strategic starting point for addressing these pressing health issues. The requested funding is necessary for continued operation and improvement of the program by supporting labor, training and supply.
Chicago Park District, for the development of DuSable Park, $3,000,000
DuSable Park will be a new 3.24-acre park located in downtown Chicago where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan. The park will be dedicated to Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, and African-American and founder of modern day Chicago. The park will feature elements about DuSable and Chicago, ADA accessible walkways, native habitat, replacement of the damaged seawall, fishing opportunities and a wetland with boardwalk.
Chicago Public Schools, for their Chicago Reading Initiative: Supported Literacy Programs, $4,000,000
Funding would assist CPS to initiate the next phase in an initiative designed to achieve instructional and academic coherence across the district through adoption of a limited number of aligned reading programs. CPS would offer elementary schools the opportunity to adopt a district-endorsed K-5 basal reading program from a list of approved publishers for the 2007-2008 school year. A comprehensive support system for literacy instruction in grades K-5 would be offered to support the use of new books. The support system would include ongoing, intensive professional development for teachers and administrators and modeling, coaching and mentoring for teachers.
Chicago State University, for research into unmanned aerial systems, $5,000,000
Funding will be used to improve the effectiveness of the military's unmanned aerial systems by replacing conventional power supply systems with fuel cell technology packages specifically made for mobile robotics systems.
Chicago State University, to develop a sustainable and portable power system for military operation, $5,000,000
Funding will assist CSU in the development of a solar cell power generating system that can be mounted on a backpack, and rapidly deployed and reconfigured for military operation. The system will include sensors, computing systems, and intelligent processing and communications systems.
Chicago State University, to the HIV/ AIDS Policy and Research Institute, $1,000,000
In response to the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in the African American population, CSU has undertaken comprehensive approach to assist with efforts in the South Side of Chicago. This project would support local outreach, education, prevention and research efforts.
Children's Memorial Hospital, for the construction of Children's Memorial Hospital Intensive Care Unit Facilities, $3,000,000
This funding would help provide care for the most critically ill children, including those with brain tumors or who are born extremely premature. As the only free-standing Level-I pediatric trauma center, new facilities would also provide care to children who may be injured in a mass casualty incident and suffer from traumatic injuries.
Columbia College Department of Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling in Chicago, for its A.I.M. Program in partnership with the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center, $3,000,000
The requested funding will assist in the expansion of the work in progress at the Jesse Brown Veterans Hospital, which has 1,800 returning OIF/ATF veterans that have sought treatment since the start of the war. Under Action-oriented Intervention through Movement Therapy ( A.I.M.), returning veterans actively participate in their treatment through interventions such as breathwork, anger and anxiety management, relaxation training, meditation, guided visualization, thereby reducing anxiety, depression, and increasing self esteem.
Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago (ESMC), for its therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research, $1,500,000
Illinois has seen a 353% increase in autism since 1993, and the ESMC Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research responds to this trend. ESMC currently operates three Therapeutic Day Schools that serve students with autism/profound developmental disabilities referred from 50+ Illinois school districts through a broad spectrum of academic and therapeutic services. The new Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research seeks to build upon this history and provide students from across Illinois with access to a state-of-the-art facility.
Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities in Springfield, for its Training Health Professionals program, $500,000
Illinois and the nation are facing a critical workforce shortage in healthcare across a deep cross section of the industry. The Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities' challenge and goal is to meet the needs of the small business community and strengthen the technical, scientific, managerial and leadership capacity of our public health workforce. Bradley University, West Suburban College of Nursing and Rosalind Franklin University, in collaboration with the Federation, will develop new infrastructure and programs to increase enrollment in key health profession programs which will provide a better trained work force for the small business sector in the surrounding areas.
Field Museum, for roof repair and rainwater diversion, $4,900,000
The Field Museum encompasses one million square feet under a single roof spanning 5.25 acres protecting precious collections and welcoming millions of visitors. Targeted replacement of old and compromised roof sections is needed to restore integrity to the envelope of the building, and to safeguard the public exhibition galleries, the research laboratories, and the 23 million objects and specimens that constitute the Museum's scientifically irreplaceable collections. In addition, roof repair will allow for environmental engineering to alter the flow of water from the roof, capturing and return clean rainwater back to Lake Michigan and thereby decrease the amount of water entering the City's water treatment facilities.
Field Museum, to support the expansion of the Halls of the Americas, $1,000,000
This exhibition is devoted to the indigenous peoples and cultures of Central and North America prior to the arrival of Europeans. The exhibition will explore the realities of immigration-the influx of innumerable racial, cultural, and religious groups into North and Central America, and the development of a shared heritage over more than 200 years.
Franklin Park, IL, for construction of the Grand Avenue Underpass in Chicago, IL to ease congestion and increase traffic safety, $3,000,000
Grand Avenue, a major arterial street that extends from the edge of Chicago's Central Business District through Franklin Park and other western suburbs, was named by a Federal Railroad Administration/Illinois Commerce Commission study as home of the fourth-worst railroad crossing in the state of Illinois. The construction of the Grand Avenue Underpass allows for the constant flow of traffic under the new combined rail line.
Galesburg, IL, to support construction of a new water treatment facility at the Oquawka, Illinois facility along the Mississippi River, $1,500,000
Governors State University, for the Center of Excellence in Health Professions Education, $1,000,000
The College of Health Professions at Governors State University seeks funding to assist in the creation of a Center of Excellence in Health Professions Education. A program would be created to educate faculty for nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy, and to improve the ability of health care practitioners to assist in the clinical education of health professions students. Funds would also provide opportunities for career advancement of health professionals.
Illinois Central College, for its Central Illinois Collaborative Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Initiative, $3,000,000
This program would provide candidates with a clear career path by acquiring technical skills and training necessary to transition into the workforce. The program aims to offset the Central Illinois worker shortage in the area of advanced manufacturing maintenance technology.
Illinois Institute of Technology, for research into impact-resistant materials, $1,500,000
Funding supports the analysis and virtual design of a novel class of impact-resistant materials to be employed in light yet extremely protective vehicle armor and explosives protective gear for personnel.
Illinois Institute of Technology, to support its Integrated Advance Energy Systems Research Initiative, $750,000
The Illinois Institute of Technology's Energy and Sustainability Institute is a nationally recognized leader in cutting edge energy research. The Institute has proposed an Integrated Advanced Energy Systems Research Initiative to apply its specialized expertise to solve critical research and development challenges directly related to achieving energy independence through environmentally friendly, commercially feasible approaches.
Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA), for the Electronic Health Record Project IPHCA, $2,000,000
This undertaking is an effort to assure the clear, concise retention and communication of patient-specific information among providers and payors in a manner that protects privacy. Electronic Health Records promote quality, reduce costs, and prevent medical errors.
Illinois State University, for the Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs and Partnerships, $300,000
Funding would expand current partnership activities and further develop the Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs & Partnerships. This would increase urban teacher recruitment, improve teacher preparation, and improve teacher retention.
Illinois State University, for the Great Lakes Teacher and Preparation Leadership Preparation Consortium, $500,000
Illinois State University, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee would create a Great Lakes Urban Teacher and Leadership Preparation Consortium. Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee Public School Districts would be involved in this consortium. The three partner institutions together with K-12 school districts and community organizations would collaboratively enhance teacher and leadership preparation capacity in these urban communities through recruitment and retention programs for hard to staff schools.
Illinois State University, to improve manufacturing competitiveness with further development of the Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory (IML), $500,000
The IML would provide students with experience in designing, implementing, and using state of the art manufacturing technology. The IML is slated to provide small to medium sized manufacturing businesses in Illinois seminars and courses so that they can learn the most effective ways to automate their operations.
Johnsburg, IL, to support construction of additional sewer lines, $2,000,000
The Village of Johnsburg is the largest municipality on the Illinois portion of the Fox River lacking a sewer system. An estimated 300,000,000 gallons per year of raw or partially treated wastewater is discharged from failing or failed septic tanks into the Fox River. This situation is problematic not only for residents, but also for visitors and the 200,000 individuals for whom the Fox River is a primary source of drinking water.
Lake County, for its Integrated Criminal Justice Information System, $1,000,000
Funding will be used to assist in the integration of each of the County's criminal justice departments and the municipal police computer networks in Lake County. An integrated justice system will improve the quality and uniformity of programs through interdepartmental data accuracy assurance, redefined workflows, and expanded tracking systems. Additionally, integrated justice systems will enhance a police department's timely access to information, including a suspect's past and pending charges.
Lee County Highway Department in Amboy, Illinois, for road upgrades, $300,000
These improvements will include the upgrading of Steward, Elva, Paw Paw and Perry Roads to Class II, 80,000 pound truck routes and the construction of a new Elva Road extension over I-39. This project will be in conjunction with the Greater Rochelle Area Transportation Improvement Plan developed to accommodate the current and future commercial/industrial growth in the region.
Lewis and Clark Community College, for its mobile health clinic to provide healthcare services to rural areas, $350,000
Funds are requested to purchase a mobile health clinic (RV) which will provide dental, general health and mental health care to more than 90,000 patients in four rural Illinois counties (Greene, Calhoun, Jersey and Macoupin). Funding will allow the mobile health clinic to perform ongoing services for 3,500 children in eleven targeted schools, in addition to community services such as pre-natal examinations, obstetric and gynecological examinations, and general public education programs will be provided by the clinic.
Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, for the extension of its primary runway, $3,420,000
The runway extension is to allow existing based and visiting corporate aircraft to safely and efficiently operate at Will County's Airport.
Long Creek, IL, to support construction of new water towers to increase its water capacity, $660,000
Long Creek has three elevated storage tanks with a total capacity of 300,000 gallons, but water demands require and additional storage capacity of 750,000 gallons. This funding would cover approximately half of the expense for necessary construction; the township would raise remaining funding.
Loretto Hospital, for the Launa Thompson Women's Health Pavilion, $550,000
The Loretto Hospital is an acute care hospital dedicated to providing comprehensive, affordable medical care. Funding would enable the construction, renovation and technology upgrade of the Launa Thompson Women's Health Pavilion. The facility would address the needs of women with issues of trauma and substance abuse disorders, and would include psychotherapy, parenting, and education on trauma issues.
Loyola University Chicago, to the Center for School District Leadership for distance learning, $1,000,000
The Center for School District Leadership will implement two interrelated school leadership initiatives to prepare hundreds of uniquely-qualified graduates for senior management positions in the Nation's urban, suburban and rural public school districts. Loyola University Chicago will serve as the host institution for the Center for School District leadership.
Manteno, IL, to connect existing and proposed parks in Kankakee County as part of the Manteno Greenways Trail System, $860,475
The Link system connects existing and proposed parks, educational facilities, commercial districts, and governmental service buildings. In addition, the Village Link proposes connections to the surrounding communities and the Kankakee River State Park.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Rock Island, for the renovation and expansion of the Center, $1,000,0000
Expansion would include a technology center, training room, improved space for after school programming, and private counseling rooms.
McHenry County, for its Sheriff's Office law enforcement communication system, $1,000,000
The radio system owned by McHenry County and operated by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office needs to be replaced. This critical link between residents, dispatchers, and public safety officers was designed in 1953 and it has run its useful life and needs to be replaced with a new 800 MHz system. New technology will allow McHenry County to meet the communication needs of its Sheriff's Office and the 9 municipal police agencies for which it provides dispatch services, and will provide McHenry County with regional interoperability.
McHenry County, to widen Miller Road, $500,000
The state routes (Illinois Route 120 and Illinois Route 31) through the City of McHenry are heavily congested. Due to continued growth in this area, the existing Miller Road corridor is also heavily congested. The widened Miller Road corridor would enhance the mobility of the area by reducing congestion and improving safety and decreasing emergency response times.
McHenry County, for Flexible and Sustainable Training Solutions Initiative, $600,000
The Flexible and Sustainable Training Solutions Initiative would provide training so that employers' needs for skilled workers, and residents' needs for livable wages, can be met. "Boot camps" would provide intensive short-term occupational training in fields identified by employers through their participation on the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board.
Memorial Hospital, for necessary equipment upgrades for vascular disease diagnostics and screenings, $1,800,000
Funding would enable equipment upgrades for vascular disease diagnostics and screening. This would allow Memorial Hospital to offer screening and diagnostic tests for earlier intervention and care locally.
Memorial Medical Center, for Advanced Flatplate Cardiac Catherization/Electrophysiology Laboratory, $1,000,000
The Advanced Flatplate Cardiac Catheterization/ Electrophysiology laboratory in Springfield, IL, would perform advanced cardiac catheterizations and interventions, cardiac electrophysiological and mapping studies, and ablation therapy to treat abnormal electrical functions of the heart. The new flatplate delivers less radiation to the patient, produces sharper and clearer images that enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and has the ability to produce 3-D imaging for improved detection and mapping of diseased vessels.
Metra, to expand and improve service, $65,000,000
Metra is the largest commuter rail system in the country in terms of number of lines, total track miles, and numbers of cars and locomotives. Funding will support environmental assessments and preliminary engineering which will establish a key rail connection throughout the northwest, west, and southwest suburbs and also offer the basis for expanded suburban rail service in the future and provide new service and stations for Chicago's south suburbs.
MetroLiNK Transit in Rock Island, to build a new state-of-the-art MetroLiNK Maintenance Facility, $5,000,000
This facility would provide maximum sustainability standards for maintenance, operations, and administrative functions. The new facility will consolidate all MetroLiNK services and vehicles at a single location. It would also provide on-site natural gas and diesel fueling operations, as well as vehicle cleaning and lubrication stations.
Millikin University School of Nursing, for the expansion and upgrade of their nursing program, $500,000
Funding will assist Millikin University School of Nursing to develop and market an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, improve simulation and laboratory facilities for teaching, target diverse student populations, and provide faculty development to grow the program and meet central and southern Illinois' needs for competent baccalaureate nursing graduates.
Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation in Chicago, for the acquisition and operation of Asthma Vans, $300,000
Mobile C.A.R.E. provides free and comprehensive asthma care and health education to children in Chicago's underserved communities via mobile medical clinics, the Asthma Vans. Asthma is a growing burden on Chicago. A recent study by the University of Illinois at Chicago reports that 16% of non-Hispanic Black children and 20% of Puerto Rican children in Chicago have asthma while another 16% of each ethnicity exhibit symptoms of asthma without a diagnosis, compared to only 11% with asthma in the general U.S. population. Chicago also has the unwanted distinction of having one of the highest death rates from asthma in the entire nation.
Moline, IL, for the design and construction of River Tech Boulevard Road, $1,595,000
This road will provide vital access to this state supported joint economic development initiative at River Tech and higher education opportunity at Western Illinois University.
Moline, IL, to address congestion in the I-74 Corridor, $8,000,000
The I-74 Corridor extends from Avenue of the Cities in Moline, IL to the 53rd Street in Davenport, IA. The I-74 Bridge, which is significantly over capacity, is located within the corridor and carries almost 78,000 vehicles per day. Adequate access and capacity crossing the Mississippi Rover is imperative for the Quad Cities to remain a vital community.
Morrison, IL, for construction of a railroad overpass, $3,812,000
All Morrison emergency services providers are located on the north side of the rail line--police, fire, hospital, ambulance, two of three medical clinics. More than half of Morrison's population is located on the south side of the tracks. The construction of a railroad overpass to serve the Morrison community and surrounding area alleviates a dangerous condition by creating a transportation route that will protect the community's residents, school, children, the elderly and visitors attending local events from risks association with emergency response delays due to blocked rail crossings.
Mount Carroll, IL, to support reconstruction of its water distribution system, $2,000,000
The City Council of Mount Carroll has described the city's inadequate water service, fire flow protection, need to meet new regulatory requirements. This funding would enable the Water Systems Improvement Project, which includes the following tasks: eliminate ground storage tank and high pumping facility; construct a 300,000-gallon elevated storage tank; construct a new municipal well; improve existing wells; create new mechanical, electrical and control system data; and replace water mains in various areas.
Mujeres Latinas en Accion, for the Parent Support Program and Women in Transition Program, $295,000
These programs provide services crucial to increasing parental efficacy and educate parents about creating a family environment that is supportive and conducive to emotional and academic growth. The curriculum teaches parents to help youth avoid gang involvement, stay in school, and improve their school performance all in a culturally sensitive atmosphere.
National Center for Family Literacy, for its Family Literacy for All Expansion, $250,000
The purpose of the family literacy model development is to meet the unique needs of families through high-quality family literacy programs. Programs would take place on-site in elementary schools, where all four components of services are to be provided: adult education/ESL classes; children's education; parent time; and Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time.
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for its cybersecurity initiative, $7,500,000
Funding will assist the University's National Center for Supercomputing Applications—a unique state-federal partnership to develop and deploy national-scale cyber-infrastructure that advances science and engineering. This initiative will addresses critical security needs and research requirements to develop a dynamic, adaptive cybersecurity infrastructure, focused in areas of data mining, intrusion detection and analysis, development of a variety of security tools, training and SCADA field testing.
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for its Technology Research, Education and Commercialization Center (TRECC), $5,000,000
Funding will be used for the research and development of technologies relevant to Navy and Department of Defense requirements, to promote the use of advanced information technology, and encourage public and private sector efforts to commercialize technologies with the potential for use in defense and industrial markets. Additionally, TRECC hosts a web site providing resources identifying government funding opportunities for researchers and businesses.
National Myoclonus Center, for the expansion of the National Myoclonus Center, $400,000
Funding would expand the National Center for Myoclonus, the only medical institution in the country that focuses on the treatment and cure for this neurological auto-immune disorder. The Center also conducts health related activities that impact lupus and multiple sclerosis patients.
Normal, IL, for the construction of a multimodal transportation center, $10,000,000
Normal, working in close collaboration with Illinois State University (ISU) has developed a comprehensive plan for the redevelopment of its downtown, which is adjacent to the ISU campus. The centerpiece of the plan is a Multimodal Transportation Center located in the central business district. The Multimodal Center will provide a focus for multiple transportation modes including: bus, Amtrak, airport shuttles, taxis, park and ride facilities, and pedestrian connections to the downtown and ISU campus.
Northeastern Illinois Sewer Consortium, for sanitary and storm sewer system upgrades, $500,000
Four Lake County communities (Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest), which make up the Consortium, have experienced significant sewer backup and flooding problems. Funds would improve storm and sanitary sewers in each community through work on sewer lining, broken or collapsed segments, and other necessary upgrades.
Oakwood, IL, to replace its water distribution system, $836,000
Based on an engineering plan's analysis, the Village of Oakwood proposes an eighteen-phase project for repairing its water distribution system. To meet increasing water demands, the seventy year-old system requires fire hydrant construction, water main construction, and "looping" in of dead-end water mains.
Ogle County Highway Department, for the Southwest Rochelle Truck Loop, $150,000
Funding will be used to begin the engineering process on transportation infrastructure improvements. The improvements will include the upgrading of Intermodal Drive, Bush Grove Road, Gurler Road , Thorpe Road, Titus Road, and Center Road to Class II, 80,000 pound truck routes and the construction of a new bridge over the Kyte River. This project will construct designated truck loop around the Southwest Sides of the Union Pacific's Global III Intermodal Facility.
Olympia Fields, IL, to make safety upgrades and improvements of the 203rd Street and Crawford Avenue, $1,000,000
Making safety upgrades to this intersection will significantly improve both vehicular and pedestrian accessibility to St. James Hospital, residential neighborhoods, Rich Central High School , and other adjacent Village amenities, while providing a safer intersection for the residents and visitors.
Oregon, IL, for Route 251 & Steward Road Intersection Improvements, $125,000
These improvements will include the construction of dual right turn lanes from Steward Road and IL Route 251 and dual left turns from IL Route 251 onto Steward Road. Along with these turn lanes the intersection will be signalized.
Orland Park, IL, to expand U.S. 45, $450,000
Funding would be used for the widening of rail bridge and road U.S. 45 (La Grange Road), allowing for a six lane road configuration.
PACE Suburban Bus, to replace the radio system in all of its 672 fixed route buses, $2,500,000
The radio system is currently 11 years old, and because it is the primary method of communication between drivers and dispatchers, it is imperative that it be upgraded. The new radios will solve communication gaps that current buses experience. PACE provides 130,000 trips daily, and passengers throughout the region will experience fewer missed connections with other bus routes.
Patterson, IL, to support replacement of its "Drake Road" water main, $138,000
This water main has ruptured eleven times in the last five years. An Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DECO) Planning Grant assessed the water system and, in its analysis, attributed ruptures to exceedingly high operating pressures. The water main's age and exposure require that it be replaced.
Peoria, IL, to support its construction of its combined sewer overflow replacement, $500,000
This funding enables construction on combined sewer overflow replacement, which is based on a study required by USEPA and IEPA.
Poder Learning Center, for workforce training program, $200,000
The Poder Learning Center responds to the educational needs of the adult immigrant in the primarily Hispanic areas of Chicago's southwest side. The Center offers tuition-free classes to individuals, including ESL, Adult Basic Education, Keyboarding, GED preparation, and MOS and A+ certification to prepare successful graduates to compete for hi-tech positions. Funding will help support the Centers through support of training programs, equipment purchase, curriculum development.
Regional Climate Center, for the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC)/Illinois State Water Survey, $6,000,000
The MRCC provides climate data and information to users in a number of climate-sensitive sectors. The research and services in which we engage help to provide practical solutions to specific climate problems in economic and environmental areas such as agriculture, energy, risk management, transportation, and water resources.
Riverside Healthcare, for a Computerized Physician Order Entry system for Kankakee, IL, $2,000,000
Riverside Health Care, a regional health care provider, would implement the Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system upgrade in a preliminary phase. This system would employ, in part: physician point of care technologies to promote interdisciplinary collaboration; online medical records to support analysis of patient problems and development of treatment approach; evidence -based order sets to guide best practices in physician and nurse clinician decision making; and immediate and urgent reminders of significant clinical changes to ensure appropriate and rapid response.
Rochelle, IL, for phase two of the Jack Dame Road/Union Pacific Railroad Overpass, $1,000,000
Funding requested will be used for improvements that will include the construction of an overpass ridge structure as well as a roadway that approaches in each direction. This structure will span the Union Pacific Railroad, three local industry spur tracks, and two local roadways to connect back into Illinois Route 38 West.
Rock Island Arsenal, to repair the roof on Building 299 for additional manufacturing space, $6,200,000
Building 299 is a 775,000 square foot warehouse constructed in 1942. The building is generally in good condition with the exception of the original roof, which is severely deteriorated. This project will completely remove, and properly dispose, all asbestos containing roofing components. Currently, a significant portion of the building is being used to support the Global War on Terror in the form of manufacturing, and shipping and receiving armor kits.
Rock Island Arsenal, to support a more robust capability to rapidly produce up-armor vehicle kits, $10,500,000
The Arsenal will upgrade equipment to support the production of lightweight add on vehicle and body armor that is directly used to improve and increase manufacturing efforts in support of the Global War on Terror. Additionally, the equipment will also have significant safety and efficiency benefits for the Arsenal.
Rock Island Arsenal, to renovate and expand Rock Island Arsenal's combined Fire and Police Station facility, $3,500,000
The facility was originally constructed in 1874. Funding will help ensure that first responders have the facilities, resources, and equipment they need to do their jobs in the Quad Cities region. This important funding will modernize and expand the Rock Island Arsenal facility to allow police and fire personnel to effectively and rapidly respond to emergencies.
Rock Island Arsenal, to support the development and enhancement of flexible lightweight metal technology, $1,350,000
This program will improve the government's ability to fabricate new lightweight materials that have many military applications and posture commercial entities in the region to be on the cutting edge of lightweight metal technology.
Rockford College, to enhance classrooms, $490,000
This funding would equip classrooms and enhance student learning by outfitting classrooms and labs that will enable faculty to employ the most modern technology when instructing students and will measurably improve student performance.
Saint Xavier University, for nursing skills lab equipment, $500,000
Saint Xavier University seeks funding to equip laboratory space so that RN-BSN students can have a simulation and practice laboratory to develop stronger clinical skills. To alleviate a significant deficit in teaching, simulation mannequins are required to fully explain the scenarios and issues nurses will face.
Saint Xavier University, for the expansion of an early childhood professional development center, $900,000
Funding would help expand its current demonstration site for early childhood teacher education to meet the demand in the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. The School of Education would establish an Early Childhood Professional Development Center that would build on the work that has already begun with the Barbara Vick Early Childhood and Family center, the child Development Laboratory School, and other services provided to young children and their families.
Shawneetown, IL, to support updates and replacement of its water distribution system, $550,000
The City of Shawneetown's water distribution system—including fire hydrants, valves, and meters—is over 70 years old, and contains cast iron sections with leaded joints.
Shedd Aquarium, for its At-Risk Youth Mentoring Initiative, $600,000
Through Shedd's neighborhood initiative, community organizations in targeted disadvantaged neighborhoods are offered free aquarium field trips, special behind-the-scenes tours and interactive aquatic science workshops. A key component of Shedd's community outreach is stewardship projects that connect neighborhood residents to their local natural environment, instilling a sense of pride and inspiring difference-making in their local community. Shedd offers scholarships to economically disadvantaged students throughout the Chicagoland area.
Spark College, for real-time writers and captioning training project, $750,000
Funding would help train the technological workforce to provide captioning and Communications Access Real-time Translation (CART) services mandated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act to approximately 1,000,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Illinois. These funds will assist with continuing curriculum development, technology upgrades, promoting the program and scholarships. With this funding, Sparks will work to curb the shortage of captioners in the workforce and ensure that the highly skilled captioners necessary to meet the mandates will be available in the community and across the state.
Southern Illinois University, for the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center, $2,000,000
The National Corn to Ethanol research facility located in the research Park of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, is the only full-scale corn to ethanol testing facility in the nation.
Southern Illinois University, for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, $1,025,000
Funding would provide a permanent and stable source of revenue for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU, which was founded by former Senator Paul Simon. Federal funding will allow SIU to fulfill Senator Simon's dream for an endowment to support the institute's on-going policy agenda.
Southern Illinois University, for the School of Medicine Simmons Cooper Cancer Institute, $2,200,000
Funding will finish out the space allocated for research laboratories and provide fixed equipment for these labs within the new Simmons Cooper Cancer Institute.
Southern Illinois University, Purdue University, and University of Kentucky, for coal research, $5,000,000
The three universities are members of the Coal to Fuel Alliance that are researching the feasibility of clean coal gasification techniques for fuel technologies. The authorization for this research is in the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), for the National Education, Science, and Critical Skills Capacity Building Initiative, $2,000,000
Building on this fund would expand the number of minority students entering the sciences, and increase opportunities for training and research. The TMCF will forge a partnership with the Department of Education, thereby building on the critical education and skills necessary to give opportunities for high education.
University of Illinois, College of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences, for the Center for Advanced Bioenergy Research, $1,000,000
The Center will create a facilitative structure for outreach, teaching and research efforts in areas related to bioenergy systems. Research at the Center will focus on the increased output of energy, based on renewable biological resources.
University of Illinois, College of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences, for the Illinois-Missouri Biotechnology Alliance, $3,000,000
The Alliance is a successful special competitive grants program, focused on biotechnology research on corn and soybeans produced and utilized in the Midwest, and operated jointly by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Missouri at Columbia, and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
University of Illinois, College of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences, for the Illinois Program for Integrated Sustainable Agriculture, $2,500,000
The Illinois Program for Integrated Sustainable Agriculture will support interdisciplinary research to develop an integrated livestock and corn-soybean production system that will conserve maximal quantities of nutrients within the system, minimize nutrient emissions to the environment, and extract other beneficial compounds, while maintaining producer profitability.
University of Illinois, College of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences, for the Soybean Disease Biotechnology Center , $2,000,000
The Soybean Disease Biotechnology Center is located within the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois and provides a first line of defense against major soybean diseases. Center researchers are working to identify and create new and improved mechanisms of disease tolerance and resistance to protect the soybean crop and increase profitability for farmers in Illinois.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Engineering, for Nanomedical Technologies, $3,000,000
Funding will be utilized to equip the new addition to the Micro and Nanoelectronics Laboratory in order to carry out advanced research in Nanomedical Technologies. Activities will include the discovery or invention of new nanoparticles for targeting and imaging cancer; how cells are affected by infectious diseases, and how to detect pathogens.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, to encourage further education in technical domains that can be cleared by the Defense Security Service, $2,000,000
Funding will assist in the establishment of Centers at The University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and The Ohio State University to fund students to pursue graduate studies in the critical technology areas used by the Department of Defense. The technological developments and the training of technically-qualified U.S. Citizens to address research issues in these areas have not kept pace with the rapidly escalating difficulties of the problems solved.
University of Illinois, for the Urban Teaching and Leadership Center, $1,000,000
The Center will be established to reduce and eradicate the unacceptable achievement gap within the Chicago Public Schools. The Center will: redesign UIC school personnel preparation programs to focus on preparing educators uniquely equipped to turn around chronically low-performing schools; increase the number of candidates from underrepresented minority populations completing certification and degree requirements, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; and reverse the negative effects on student learning of persistent teacher turnover in high-need Chicago-are schools. The Center's purpose is to develop educators who can offer excellent, culturally responsive, and consistent instruction in struggling schools.
West Frankfort, IL, to support replacement of its Big Ditch Pumping Station, $550,000
The City's Big Ditch Pumping Station, which serves the Big Ditch Drainage System of West Frankfort, cannot adequately pump water during periods of significant waterfall to prevent flooding.
Wetlands Initiative of Illinois, to support its Illinois River Nutrient Farm Pilot Project, $11,810,000
This market-driven wetland restoration project, among other things, addresses nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon pollution in national waters. A pilot project, the Illinois River Nutrient Farming Pilot Project, is organized in highly disturbed backwater lake and wetland complexes (Goose Pond, Sawmill Pocket, Hennepin & Hopper Lakes) adjoining the Illinois River near Hennepin, Illinois.
Women's Sports Foundation, for its GoGirlGo! Chicago Initiative, $1,000,000
The GoGirlGo! Chicago Initiative is a mentoring, education and development program targeting at-risk teens to prevent drop-outs, truancy, crime, violence and drug abuse by promoting participation in sport and physical activity during after school hours when teens are at greatest risk for dysfunctional social behaviors. The GoGirlGo! Initiative is being carried out throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
Sorry for the long post. Blame it on Obama!
I wonder why he would do this? [}:)]
So he has a chance to win one state....
Wait, he's going to get us out of Iraq.
Why do we need this earmark:
Rock Island Arsenal, to support a more robust capability to rapidly produce up-armor vehicle kits, $10,500,000
The Arsenal will upgrade equipment to support the production of lightweight add on vehicle and body armor that is directly used to improve and increase manufacturing efforts in support of the Global War on Terror. Additionally, the equipment will also have significant safety and efficiency benefits for the Arsenal.
Do you have the info on Biden?
Obama got a 10% rating from the Citizens Against Government Waste, but Biden got 0%!! So he must be even worse than Obama.
Oh and by the way, McCain got 100% ... which is higher than Coburn got!
quote:
Originally posted by Cubs
Do you have the info on Biden?
Obama got a 10% rating from the Citizens Against Government Waste, but Biden got 0%!! So he must be even worse than Obama.
Oh and by the way, McCain got 100% ... which is higher than Coburn got!
BINGO!
I will probably have to get administrative permission before I post his. It's lengthy and boring.
more one-sided stuff from faux-independent Gaspar......
hmmm.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-22-earmarks_N.htm
"Arizona, the second fastest growing state in the nation, will receive just $18.70 per capita in federal earmarks this fiscal year. By comparison, Alaska — with roughly a tenth of Arizona's population — is set to receive $506.34 per capita, the highest in the nation, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group which tracks earmarks."
You boys enjoying your little circle jerk? Earmarks, earmarks...ear...ma...rks. Easier than saying proposed bills and twice as smarmy.
You're impressed that your candidate doesn't have any plans? Most likely because he expects all those proposals to be written by his pals the pharmaceuticals, the oilies, the bankers, the agriculturals and our newest behind the scenes manipulators...the Chinese and the Cayman Islands. That's the way GB did it.
Proposals are just that. Takes congress to massage and pass them. Fortunately one of our candidates has ideas and floats them to the public. But the other one doesn't. To have nothing going on to address our country's issues available to the public before you're elected.... only to spring them on us after the election... smacks of Bush league operations. Way to go boys. You just cemented the image.
McCain is more of the same.
So, to recap: All earmarks bad; no earmarks good?
Is that what I'm supposed to take away here?
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
So, to recap: All earmarks bad; no earmarks good?
Is that what I'm supposed to take away here?
They have to wait till someone's finished.[;)]
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
So, to recap: All earmarks bad; no earmarks good?
Is that what I'm supposed to take away here?
They have to wait till someone's finished.[;)]
Ew.
First one to reply loves earmarks most!
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
http://dictionary.die.net/propaganda
propaganda
n : information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause
Here's the truth on Senate earmarks... Obama is ranked #81 out of 100 Senators... Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi is #1, Senator Hillary Clinton is ranked #2... Dick Durbin of Illinois is #21... Joe Biden is ranked #77...
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/power_cats.tt?cat=E&submit.x=7&submit.y=7
Name Earmarks Score Earmarks Rank Earmark Amount Earmark Count
Sen. Cochran (R-MS) 4.18 1 $ 837,256,500 247
Sen. Clinton (D-NY) 3.20 2 $ 342,403,455 284
Sen. Levin (D-MI) 3.16 3 $ 324,128,580 250
Sen. Schumer (D-NY) 3.13 4 $ 309,691,055 303
Sen. Specter (R-PA) 2.95 5 $ 218,482,900 304
Sen. Shelby (R-AL) 2.91 6 $ 427,559,200 204
Sen. Murray (D-WA) 2.85 7 $ 376,489,467 208
Sen. Stabenow (D-MI) 2.80 8 $ 302,988,080 218
Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) 2.79 9 $ 289,767,548 220
Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) 2.65 10 $ 289,654,230 206
Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) 2.59 11 $ 469,691,110 163
Sen. Harkin (D-IA) 2.49 12 $ 297,332,200 188
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) 2.48 13 $ 295,872,430 188
Sen. Stevens (R-AK) 2.48 14 $ 456,902,750 155
Sen. Reid (D-NV) 2.39 15 $ 305,289,470 177
Sen. Bond (R-MO) 2.39 16 $ 454,632,500 146
Sen. Mikulski (D-MD) 2.38 17 $ 289,623,815 179
Sen. Domenici (R-NM) 2.19 18 $ 246,753,890 169
Sen. Grassley (R-IA) 2.17 19 $ 323,638,520 151
Sen. Inouye (D-HI) 2.14 20 $ 414,327,330 130
Sen. Durbin (D-IL) 2.12 21 $ 342,408,700 142
Sen. Casey (D-PA) 2.08 22 $ 215,313,080 164
Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) 2.06 23 $ 160,199,450 173
Sen. Byrd (D-WV) 1.96 24 $ 407,360,438 113
Sen. Bingaman (D-NM) 1.96 25 $ 213,872,190 152
Sen. Hutchison (R-TX) 1.93 26 $ 254,802,000 141
Sen. Cardin (D-MD) 1.88 27 $ 234,146,060 140
Sen. Webb (D-VA) 1.75 28 $ 257,341,360 123
Sen. Warner (R-VA) 1.74 29 $ 252,617,760 123
Sen. Kerry (D-MA) 1.66 30 $ 183,922,200 129
Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) 1.66 31 $ 198,213,200 126
Sen. Lincoln (D-AR) 1.54 32 $ 236,935,860 106
Sen. Pryor (D-AR) 1.53 33 $ 235,459,860 105
Sen. Kohl (D-WI) 1.52 34 $ 153,438,700 121
Sen. Wyden (D-OR) 1.50 35 $ 155,613,460 118
Sen. Vitter (R-LA) 1.49 36 $ 233,098,610 102
Sen. Johnson (D-SD) 1.48 37 $ 222,238,585 103
Sen. Smith (R-OR) 1.48 38 $ 151,782,310 117
Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) 1.47 39 $ 190,234,124 108
Sen. Chambliss (R-GA) 1.44 40 $ 167,073,500 110
Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) 1.43 41 $ 162,009,530 110
Sen. Dole (R-NC) 1.41 42 $ 147,818,000 111
Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) 1.40 43 $ 200,881,250 99
Sen. Lugar (R-IN) 1.39 44 $ 130,851,000 112
Sen. Salazar (D-CO) 1.39 45 $ 125,665,710 113
Sen. Reed (D-RI) 1.36 46 $ 177,286,031 100
Sen. Nelson (D-FL) 1.31 47 $ 161,210,750 98
Sen. Inhofe (R-OK) 1.29 48 $ 146,180,600 99
Sen. Bennett (R-UT) 1.29 49 $ 175,096,300 93
Sen. Dorgan (D-ND) 1.27 50 $ 175,222,730 91
Sen. Coleman (R-MN) 1.26 51 $ 172,180,750 91
Sen. Craig (R-ID) 1.18 52 $ 137,513,000 90
Sen. Leahy (D-VT) 1.17 53 $ 132,462,560 90
Sen. Baucus (D-MT) 1.16 54 $ 118,183,520 92
Sen. Dodd (D-CT) 1.15 55 $ 172,481,242 80
Sen. Isakson (R-GA) 1.15 56 $ 160,800,500 82
Sen. Boxer (D-CA) 1.13 57 $ 92,334,280 94
Sen. Burr (R-NC) 1.13 58 $ 116,227,550 89
Sen. Martinez (R-FL) 1.09 59 $ 128,232,050 83
Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) 1.08 60 $ 154,531,780 77
Sen. McConnell (R-KY) 1.05 61 $ 185,140,000 67
Sen. Conrad (D-ND) 1.04 62 $ 127,604,730 78
Sen. Collins (R-ME) 1.04 63 $ 131,868,000 77
Sen. Crapo (R-ID) 1.04 64 $ 121,113,700 79
Sen. Bayh (D-IN) 1.03 65 $ 99,338,000 83
Sen. Tester (D-MT) 1.01 66 $ 111,192,080 78
Sen. Snowe (R-ME) 1.00 67 $ 120,568,000 75
Sen. Allard (R-CO) 0.99 68 $ 100,473,000 79
Sen. Brownback (R-KS) 0.97 69 $ 87,133,151 79
Sen. Hatch (R-UT) 0.95 70 $ 131,177,800 68
Sen. Akaka (D-HI) 0.95 71 $ 170,281,560 60
Sen. Nelson (D-NE) 0.89 72 $ 105,406,640 68
Sen. Sessions (R-AL) 0.87 73 $ 213,107,000 44
Sen. Thune (R-SD) 0.87 74 $ 168,327,478 53
Sen. Brown (D-OH) 0.86 75 $ 110,913,530 63
Sen. Alexander (R-TN) 0.85 76 $ 124,730,500 60
Sen. Biden (D-DE) 0.83 77 $ 85,597,205 66
Sen. Graham (R-SC) 0.83 78 $ 103,647,000 62
Sen. Gregg (R-NH) 0.82 79 $ 91,630,600 63
Sen. Carper (D-DE) 0.79 80 $ 82,492,205 62
Sen. Obama (D-IL) 0.75 81 $ 98,648,720 55
Sen. Hagel (R-NE) 0.68 82 $ 76,571,000 52
Sen. Roberts (R-KS) 0.58 83 $ 53,627,600 47
Sen. Ensign (R-NV) 0.57 84 $ 103,540,730 36
Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI) 0.57 85 $ 37,518,050 49
Sen. Sununu (R-NH) 0.51 86 $ 71,353,000 36
Sen. Kyl (R-AZ) 0.47 87 $ 92,717,500 28
Sen. Sanders (I-VT) 0.43 88 $ 40,619,400 35
Sen. Enzi (R-WY) 0.37 89 $ 42,218,600 28
Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) 0.27 90 $ 39,218,600 19
Sen. Bunning (R-KY) 0.27 91 $ 23,724,400 22
Sen. Corker (R-TN) 0.25 92 $ 61,019,000 13
Sen. Barrasso (R-WY) 0.08 93 $ 12,478,000 5
Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV) 0.05 94 $ 11,200,000 3
Sen. Coburn (R-OK) 0.00 95 $ 0 0
Sen. McCain (R-AZ) 0.00 95 $ 0 0
Sen. McCaskill (D-MO) 0.00 95 $ 0 0
Sen. DeMint (R-SC) 0.00 95 $ 0 0
Sen. Feingold (D-WI) 0.00 95 $ 0 0
Compare Oklahoma Senator Jim Inholfe at #48...
Total: $146,180,600 Earmark Count: 99
...to Senator Obama at #81...
Total: $98,648,720
Earmark Count: 55
I know, maybe I can spam this thread the same way Gaspar spammed every single earmark Obama supported with the NINETY NINE EARMARKS Jim Inhofe got for Oklahoma... of course, none of Inhofe's earmarks would go to an Obama group like AIDSCARE, INC.... cuz that'd be promoting the gay lifestyle, and Inhofe takes great pride in telling us not a single member of his extended family is gay... [:o)]
The Inhofe earmarks list would be almost twice as long for a state that has a mere fraction of the population of Illinois...
Get the point?!?
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Easy there, YoungTulsan. I think we're accusing them of becoming aroused by Republican policy/buzzwords. Sexy sexy earmarks. Autoerotic arousal from drowning the government in a bathtub.
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Easy there, YoungTulsan. I think we're accusing them of becoming aroused by Republican policy/buzzwords. Sexy sexy earmarks. Autoerotic arousal from drowning the government in a bathtub.
Is that the sound of Grover Nordquist masterbaiting...? Geez, I can smell it from here... [:o)]
I have to say my friends that I'm not willing to accept the premise of this post, which is that earmarks are the work of the devil and a "clean earmark record" is next to godliness. I'm willing to concede that the process is bad (sneaking budget items into unrelated bills), but certainly not that the items themselves are unwarranted.
Look, that bridge to nowhere was a bunch of crap. Admitted. A great example of an earmark gone awry . . . and reportedly authored by Mr. Earmark himself, the Honorable, Indicted Ted Stevens of Alaska. But what about the bills and things that need doing on a micro level within states? Some of the individual stuff that needs doing is right up there on Obama's list: infrastructure, economic development, health initiatives, lots of scientific research, and god bless him, some stuff for the arts (American Theater Company represent! A real tragedy that they're leaving North Center for freaking trendoid Logan Square though . . .)
Anyhow, the only thing I see lacking with the earmarks system is a way to conduct oversight. That, admittedly, is a major problem. But a lot of Obama's stuff -- while Conservatives might plotz -- makes a whole lot of sense to me. And as an ex-Chicagoan, he's bringing home a lot of needed bacon to some seriously underserved areas.
PS. I'd applaud McCain's list too, if he had one.
Uncle Gaspar! Uncle Gaspar!
The liberal spinsharks are circling, the spinsharks are circling!!!!!
Help!!!
Help!!!
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Uncle Gaspar! Uncle Gaspar!
The liberal spinsharks are circling, the spinsharks are circling!!!!!
Help!!!
Help!!!
Bah. As led by Mssr. Reid and Pelosi, we're a toothless bunch of sharks. Sad but true. Would that it were otherwise.
What do mean by spin?
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
I have to say my friends that I'm not willing to accept the premise of this post, which is that earmarks are the work of the devil and a "clean earmark record" is next to godliness. I'm willing to concede that the process is bad (sneaking budget items into unrelated bills), but certainly not that the items themselves are unwarranted.
Look, that bridge to nowhere was a bunch of crap. Admitted. A great example of an earmark gone awry . . . and reportedly authored by Mr. Earmark himself, the Honorable, Indicted Ted Stevens of Alaska. But what about the bills and things that need doing on a micro level within states? Some of the individual stuff that needs doing is right up there on Obama's list: infrastructure, economic development, health initiatives, lots of scientific research, and god bless him, some stuff for the arts (American Theater Company represent! A real tragedy that they're leaving North Center for freaking trendoid Logan Square though . . .)
Anyhow, the only thing I see lacking with the earmarks system is a way to conduct oversight. That, admittedly, is a major problem. But a lot of Obama's stuff -- while Conservatives might plotz -- makes a whole lot of sense to me. And as an ex-Chicagoan, he's bringing home a lot of needed bacon to some seriously underserved areas.
PS. I'd applaud McCain's list too, if he had one.
I'm not making any judgment on earmarks. My opinion is that they are underhanded and dishonest, but your opinion may be different.
If you believe that earmarks are a good thing, then great! If it's your opinion that the only way to get things done in government is to sneak or attach things that serve your constituents onto unrelated bills, then good for you.
I am with you on the fact that many Republicans are just as guilty if not more. I think they should be held accountable too. This is not a "single party" problem. This is an addiction. A problem. A crack in the system that allows things to get funded through government that would never pass through a truthful and transparent system.
Adding layers of deception to government is the norm and it needs to be reduced (here comes the liberal talking point response).
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
You drew that conclusion. I merely made an analogy to an activity that only includes people with a common purpose and a homogeneous makeup. If these guys want to have a small caucus of republican true believers then they should head out to Owasso and fulfill themselves. Its not discussion unless differing opinions are proffered.
If I had made the analogy that they were like herding animals baying at the moon would you think I had sunk to the level of calling them a pack of hyenas?
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Yes when she was a mayor she voiced support for the bridge. When she became Governor she reversed her opinion. Let me explain a little what the bridge is and why there was mixed support for it.
Last year, I spent a wonderefull day in Ketchikan and learned a great deal about the Gravina Island Bridge.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg/1200px-Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg)
You see, Ketchikan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also quite remote and rugged.
Fuel, cargo, people and nearly everything necessary for modern life has to be shipped in by boat. Gasoline is several dollars a gallon more expensive than it is on the mainland.
Ketchikan has a very modest population of around 7,000 people, but every summer that population explodes with tourism. Because of this, a large airport was built on Gravina island (across the bay from mainland Ketchikan). This was the only flat developable land available for an airport. The airport caused Ketchikan to boom even more with tourism and other industry. Unfortunately people, cargo and food, had to be loaded on boats and ferried across the bay to the mainland. Additionally, historic Ketichikan has very little land left for development that would not otherwise harm the pristine landscape. As the city has grown, the people have wanted to develop housing and hotels on Gravina island to cope with the expansion without damaging forest and mountain land.
You see, the proposal of building a bridge across the bay is not so outrageous. It was politicized based on its price as compared to the population of the city, rather than it's price vs. the tourism and growth potential.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the "Bridge", far from it. It was an earmark deal and therefore the wrong way to go about it. Palin did good to take down the REPUBLICAN that proposed it.
I just wanted you to understand a little about what you are talking about. It will help you in life. If you understand your argument, you have a better chance of meaningful debate.
Raising your voice or resorting to name-calling is simply an indication that you have lost the argument.
Talking points, without exception, are designed as tools to allow the unprepared and uneducated participate in the debate without an understanding of the subject matter.
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
QuoteOriginally posted by we vs us
I'm not making any judgment on earmarks.
^Another example of how you can't even be honest with yourself.
Of course you made a judgement and you spent 30inches of thead space driving that judgement home to the approval of your other Republican (er, Independent) co-horts. Only after it was pointed out that it was an unfair comparison did you backtrack and correctly blame the system for allowing them and both sides for abusing them.
If your man Mc was a true Maverick he would have chosen Coburn as his running mate. Coburn brings nothing home to his state (then you could have two zero's on your list!) He also would love to strangle the government by proposing nothing to meet the needs of its citizens.
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
QuoteOriginally posted by we vs us
I'm not making any judgment on earmarks.
^Another example of how you can't even be honest with yourself.
Of course you made a judgement and you spent 30inches of thead space driving that judgement home to the approval of your other Republican (er, Independent) co-horts. Only after it was pointed out that it was an unfair comparison did you backtrack and correctly blame the system for allowing them and both sides for abusing them.
If your man Mc was a true Maverick he would have chosen Coburn as his running mate. Coburn brings nothing home to his state (then you could have two zero's on your list!) He also would love to strangle the government by proposing nothing to meet the needs of its citizens.
So let me understand. Do you believe that earmarks are the only way of meeting the needs of the citizens?
You are correct, I think strangling government would probably be a healthy thing. Guilty.
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Yes when she was a mayor she voiced support for the bridge. When she became Governor she reversed her opinion. Let me explain a little what the bridge is and why there was mixed support for it.
Last year, I spent a wonderefull day in Ketchikan and learned a great deal about the Gravina Island Bridge.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg/1200px-Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg)
You see, Ketchikan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also quite remote and rugged.
Fuel, cargo, people and nearly everything necessary for modern life has to be shipped in by boat. Gasoline is several dollars a gallon more expensive than it is on the mainland.
Ketchikan has a very modest population of around 7,000 people, but every summer that population explodes with tourism. Because of this, a large airport was built on Gravina island (across the bay from mainland Ketchikan). This was the only flat developable land available for an airport. The airport caused Ketchikan to boom even more with tourism and other industry. Unfortunately people, cargo and food, had to be loaded on boats and ferried across the bay to the mainland. Additionally, historic Ketichikan has very little land left for development that would not otherwise harm the pristine landscape. As the city has grown, the people have wanted to develop housing and hotels on Gravina island to cope with the expansion without damaging forest and mountain land.
You see, the proposal of building a bridge across the bay is not so outrageous. It was politicized based on its price as compared to the population of the city, rather than it's price vs. the tourism and growth potential.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the "Bridge", far from it. It was an earmark deal and therefore the wrong way to go about it. Palin did good to take down the REPUBLICAN that proposed it.
I just wanted you to understand a little about what you are talking about. It will help you in life. If you understand your argument, you have a better chance of meaningful debate.
Raising your voice or resorting to name-calling is simply an indication that you have lost the argument.
Talking points, without exception, are designed as tools to allow the unprepared and uneducated participate in the debate without an understanding of the subject matter.
You're so good at rewriting and re-intrepreting history Gas. And we're all so in debt to your condescending, psuedo-individualist education efforts.
Only problem is, lots of transcripts and videos prove she strongly supported the bridge. She didn't propose it but worked with Stevens to bring it home even when the rest of Congress
including her running mate , chose the bridge as the perfect example of earmark abuse! Was McCain not ready for meaningful debate on the subject? Was he unprepared, uneducated and lacking in understanding? Dang, he lost your phone number I guess.
She continued to make efforts to bring that earmark money home even after Congress rebuked her and only turned on her fellow Republican grifter when it bacame obvious he was a liability. Eventually she brought home a over 200 million of the money and spread it to other projects. Good politician but not good work, bub.
Ironically, I saw a lot of the same arguments you make for this bridge thoroughly repudiated in discussions of river development here in Tulsa.
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
QuoteOriginally posted by we vs us
I'm not making any judgment on earmarks.
^Another example of how you can't even be honest with yourself.
Of course you made a judgement and you spent 30inches of thead space driving that judgement home to the approval of your other Republican (er, Independent) co-horts. Only after it was pointed out that it was an unfair comparison did you backtrack and correctly blame the system for allowing them and both sides for abusing them.
If your man Mc was a true Maverick he would have chosen Coburn as his running mate. Coburn brings nothing home to his state (then you could have two zero's on your list!) He also would love to strangle the government by proposing nothing to meet the needs of its citizens.
So let me understand. Do you believe that earmarks are the only way of meeting the needs of the citizens?
You are correct, I think strangling government would probably be a healthy thing. Guilty.
You ask the wrong question in an effort to divert attention from your hypocrisy and dishonesty. Its not the only way and you're narrowing of the issue that way suits only you.
Its not about whether earmarks meet the needs of citizens. Its obvious they do. In the absence of any other system to accomplish meeting your constituencies needs, it will continue to flourish. In this sense, you're not an Independent. You're an anarchist. Destroy the system with no replacement and you serve only your ego. You want to drive the car to the crusher because the fuel system leaks.
I won't deny that you are good at your task which is clever manipulation of facts, words, and people. That's probably why you're in consulting. Consultants get paid to tell businessment what they want to hear, what they already know and what they'll never do.
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Yes when she was a mayor she voiced support for the bridge. When she became Governor she reversed her opinion. Let me explain a little what the bridge is and why there was mixed support for it.
Last year, I spent a wonderefull day in Ketchikan and learned a great deal about the Gravina Island Bridge.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg/1200px-Deer_Mtn_panorama.jpg)
You see, Ketchikan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also quite remote and rugged.
Fuel, cargo, people and nearly everything necessary for modern life has to be shipped in by boat. Gasoline is several dollars a gallon more expensive than it is on the mainland.
Ketchikan has a very modest population of around 7,000 people, but every summer that population explodes with tourism. Because of this, a large airport was built on Gravina island (across the bay from mainland Ketchikan). This was the only flat developable land available for an airport. The airport caused Ketchikan to boom even more with tourism and other industry. Unfortunately people, cargo and food, had to be loaded on boats and ferried across the bay to the mainland. Additionally, historic Ketichikan has very little land left for development that would not otherwise harm the pristine landscape. As the city has grown, the people have wanted to develop housing and hotels on Gravina island to cope with the expansion without damaging forest and mountain land.
You see, the proposal of building a bridge across the bay is not so outrageous. It was politicized based on its price as compared to the population of the city, rather than it's price vs. the tourism and growth potential.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the "Bridge", far from it. It was an earmark deal and therefore the wrong way to go about it. Palin did good to take down the REPUBLICAN that proposed it.
I just wanted you to understand a little about what you are talking about. It will help you in life. If you understand your argument, you have a better chance of meaningful debate.
Raising your voice or resorting to name-calling is simply an indication that you have lost the argument.
Talking points, without exception, are designed as tools to allow the unprepared and uneducated participate in the debate without an understanding of the subject matter.
You're so good at rewriting and re-intrepreting history Gas. And we're all so in debt to your condescending, psuedo-individualist education efforts.
Only problem is, lots of transcripts and videos prove she strongly supported the bridge. She didn't propose it but worked with Stevens to bring it home even when the rest of Congress including her running mate , chose the bridge as the perfect example of earmark abuse! Was McCain not ready for meaningful debate on the subject? Was he unprepared, uneducated and lacking in understanding? Dang, he lost your phone number I guess.
She continued to make efforts to bring that earmark money home even after Congress rebuked her and only turned on her fellow Republican grifter when it bacame obvious he was a liability. Eventually she brought home a over 200 million of the money and spread it to other projects. Good politician but not good work, bub.
Ironically, I saw a lot of the same arguments you make for this bridge thoroughly repudiated in discussions of river development here in Tulsa.
I would like to learn more. Could you provide me with more information? Perhaps some reputable sources?
Yes, I can. I just listened and watched them yesterday. Surprised you haven't. I'll get the links today and post them. I think it was the NY Times and Youtube.
She was pretty forthright about working with Stevens and supporting the bridge.
^^Read this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122090791901411709.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
(it's the wallstreet journal, not huffington or dailykos).
quote:
Originally posted by akupetsky
^^Read this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122090791901411709.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
(it's the wallstreet journal, not huffington or dailykos).
Interesting. Obama has proposed $0 in earmarks this year and less than Palin did in the previous year.
This deserves being posted in full on this thread just like Gas posted in full a list from who knows where or when.
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
Here's one. "Our Congressional delegation, God bless 'em", Palin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuA7nAOBXQ
From the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/politics/17spend.html
The St. Petersburg Times was more generous to her but noted it was not a viable project when she finally withdrew support.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/675/
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by akupetsky
^^Read this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122090791901411709.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
(it's the wallstreet journal, not huffington or dailykos).
Interesting. Obama has proposed $0 in earmarks this year and less than Palin did in the previous year.
This deserves being posted in full on this thread just like Gas posted in full a list from who knows where or when.
Is it a miracle that Obama hasn't proposed an earmark this year? I doubt it. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he hasn't seen the floor of the senate in quite a while. It's hard to propose bills when you're campagining.
If we could get every politician to campaign full time we'd be a hell of a lot better off...
Its funny that she refers to an inhabited island in the State that she governs is "nowhere"...real classy.
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
That's hilarious. Obama must be lying. He released the information on the earmarks I mentioned.
I was waiting for the regular numb-skulls to post a claim that Obama made fewer requests or something, but I didn't expect them to stretch it to $0.
You guys crack me up.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/
Oops! Guess your talking-points are a bit off.
Perhaps it's a right-wing conspiracy?
Those pesky Repubs control the Senate website you know.
Waterboy, while I respect your opinion, I am tired of angry talking points, so I will continue to post traps. Please do your research. It will serve you better
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Bringing Inhofe into this as a straw man is an interesting subterfuge. The original post was about Sen. McCain's earmarks vs. Sen. Obama's.
Last I checked, Sen Inhofe (R-Pork) is not running for President against Sen. Obama (D-Pork).
Inhofe seeking $146mm in earmarks blows Hometown's assertion that Inhofe doesn't try to bring home the bacon out of the water, doesn't it?
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
You drew that conclusion. I merely made an analogy to an activity that only includes people with a common purpose and a homogeneous makeup. If these guys want to have a small caucus of republican true believers then they should head out to Owasso and fulfill themselves. Its not discussion unless differing opinions are proffered.
If I had made the analogy that they were like herding animals baying at the moon would you think I had sunk to the level of calling them a pack of hyenas?
How do you know they do circlejerks in Owasso, Waterboy? [:O]
I'd not heard that before. Is there a clubhouse or something?
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
Obama is a far better actor than Ronald Reagan ever was....
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Bringing Inhofe into this as a straw man is an interesting subterfuge. The original post was about Sen. McCain's earmarks vs. Sen. Obama's.
Last I checked, Sen Inhofe (R-Pork) is not running for President against Sen. Obama (D-Pork).
Inhofe seeking $146mm in earmarks blows Hometown's assertion that Inhofe doesn't try to bring home the bacon out of the water, doesn't it?
I think if Ruf and Waterboy simply went to the US Senate website and used a calculator (I personally like the Casio model SL300VE) to ad up the earmarks for each senator, they would be able to pose far better arguments. It's far more reliable than the fuzzy-math liberal sites.
But than again, they don't believe that earmarks are a bad thing, so I wonder why they are upset. They should celebrate earmarks. May the liberal candidate with the most earmarks win!
quote:
Originally posted by iplaw
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by akupetsky
^^Read this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122090791901411709.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
(it's the wallstreet journal, not huffington or dailykos).
Interesting. Obama has proposed $0 in earmarks this year and less than Palin did in the previous year.
This deserves being posted in full on this thread just like Gas posted in full a list from who knows where or when.
Is it a miracle that Obama hasn't proposed an earmark this year? I doubt it. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he hasn't seen the floor of the senate in quite a while. It's hard to propose bills when you're campagining.
If we could get every politician to campaign full time we'd be a hell of a lot better off...
He's also notorious for not leaving much of a paper trail...
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
That's hilarious. Obama must be lying. He released the information on the earmarks I mentioned.
I was waiting for the regular numb-skulls to post a claim that Obama made fewer requests or something, but I didn't expect them to stretch it to $0.
You guys crack me up.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/
Oops! Guess your talking-points are a bit off.
Perhaps it's a right-wing conspiracy?
Those pesky Repubs control the Senate website you know.
Waterboy, while I respect your opinion, I am tired of angry talking points, so I will continue to post traps. Please do your research. It will serve you better
You sound desperate Gas. I only posted the links which had quotes from the players. I only detected your traps and noted your propensity to set them. Don't lecture me till you cure your own hypocrisy.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
Let me get things clear here, he made a post about earmarks, and you are accusing him of being a homosexual? I hate what the political forum has become. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
You drew that conclusion. I merely made an analogy to an activity that only includes people with a common purpose and a homogeneous makeup. If these guys want to have a small caucus of republican true believers then they should head out to Owasso and fulfill themselves. Its not discussion unless differing opinions are proffered.
If I had made the analogy that they were like herding animals baying at the moon would you think I had sunk to the level of calling them a pack of hyenas?
How do you know they do circlejerks in Owasso, Waterboy? [:O]
I'd not heard that before. Is there a clubhouse or something?
Now there you go infering again. A caucus is not the same thing. But Cubs would know more about Owasso and its auto-erotic proclivities than I. The home of the Rams just came to mind because of his pithy insights.
Don't you think my remark about Coburn and McCain deserved more attention? Talk about a maverick.
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
That's hilarious. Obama must be lying. He released the information on the earmarks I mentioned.
I was waiting for the regular numb-skulls to post a claim that Obama made fewer requests or something, but I didn't expect them to stretch it to $0.
You guys crack me up.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/
Oops! Guess your talking-points are a bit off.
Perhaps it's a right-wing conspiracy?
Those pesky Repubs control the Senate website you know.
Waterboy, while I respect your opinion, I am tired of angry talking points, so I will continue to post traps. Please do your research. It will serve you better
You sound desperate Gas. I only posted the links which had quotes from the players. I only detected your traps and noted your propensity to set them. Don't lecture me till you cure your own hypocrisy.
Thanks! I'm going to read that for the rest of the day and try to figure it out.
Moving on. . .
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
Not spin.
TRUTH.
Obama is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a senate of 100 in earmarks.
If you and Gaspar were anything other than HYPOCRITS, you'd be railing against Inhofe's pork in the exact same way you're railing against a guy who is NUMBER EIGHTY ONE in a congress of 100 in use of earmarks... and you'd admit that Sarah Palin is being very disengenuous when she acts like her opposition to the "bridge to nowhere" was anything other than a parlor trick to KEEP THE MONEY while pretending to be a "maverick"...
The silence is deafening.
Bringing Inhofe into this as a straw man is an interesting subterfuge. The original post was about Sen. McCain's earmarks vs. Sen. Obama's.
Last I checked, Sen Inhofe (R-Pork) is not running for President against Sen. Obama (D-Pork).
Inhofe seeking $146mm in earmarks blows Hometown's assertion that Inhofe doesn't try to bring home the bacon out of the water, doesn't it?
I think if Ruf and Waterboy simply went to the US Senate website and used a calculator (I personally like the Casio model SL300VE) to ad up the earmarks for each senator, they would be able to pose far better arguments. It's far more reliable than the fuzzy-math liberal sites.
But than again, they don't believe that earmarks are a bad thing, so I wonder why they are upset. They should celebrate earmarks. May the liberal candidate with the most earmarks win!
Once again you purposely ascribe a view to me that I didn't espouse.... then attack me with it! I didn't say earmarks are good or bad. That's a GB administration view. To them things are good/bad, saintly/evil, liberal/conservative and on, and on.
Earmarks simply are. And if it is generally accepted by Congress and the American people that our earmarks are good and yours are bad, they will remain. Find a better way of meeting the country's needs, convince the above they're counterproductive or get a judgement from the courts that it's illegal and they will go away. Geez, I thought you were a pragmatist.
And I care little for what you think the quality of my arguments are. I also think little of yours or your slippery Republican research.
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
Speaking of reading the script. You should check out your own candidate...
(http://thestickingpoint.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/blinders_on.jpg)
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
I think if Ruf and Waterboy simply went to the US Senate website and used a calculator (I personally like the Casio model SL300VE)...
Well, that is your problem right there.
How can you call yourself an American when you do all your figuring on a Japanese calculator?
The Xerox xrx-250 gives you correct answers...
. . . O'Bama's ears are so big he leaves marks on every door frame he enters . . .
That's it, now Huntzinger has played the ear card...
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
That's hilarious. Obama must be lying. He released the information on the earmarks I mentioned.
I was waiting for the regular numb-skulls to post a claim that Obama made fewer requests or something, but I didn't expect them to stretch it to $0.
You guys crack me up.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/
Oops! Guess your talking-points are a bit off.
Perhaps it's a right-wing conspiracy?
Those pesky Repubs control the Senate website you know.
Waterboy, while I respect your opinion, I am tired of angry talking points, so I will continue to post traps. Please do your research. It will serve you better
LOL. Guess that makes you a master baiter. [B)] Keep going on with your verbal masterbation and republican talking points and change the debate strategy and I'll continue to call you names... because you deserve them... you consistently debase real debate...
You know, over the course of the last couple of years, I mistook you for some sort of libertarian/independent but when push comes to shove.... you are a complete and total SHILL for the Republican Party...
Although I'm sure you and Conan were fully supportive of McCain-Feingold... otherwise this earmark topic would just be a disingenous distraction from other more important issues, no?
Here's the TRUTH. Republican presidents are bigger spenders than their democrat opponents... so even if the FIVE senators who don't request any earmarks convince the 95 that do (including #81 ranked Barack Obama), Republicans will simply find some other loophole that will allow spending for pork projects they will use to get re-elected...
http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm
Since 1938 the Democrats have held the White house for 35 years, the Republicans for 34. Over that time the national debt has increased at an average annual rate of 8.7%. In years Democrats were in the White House there was an average increase of 8.3%. In years the Republicans ran the White House the debt increased an average 9.7% per year. Those averages aren't that far apart, but they do show a bias toward more borrowing by Republicans than Democrats even including World War II.
If you look at the 59-year record of debt since the end of WWII, starting with Truman's term, the difference between the two parties' contributions to our national debt level change considerably. Since 1946, Democratic presidents increased the national debt an average of only 3.2% per year. The Republican presidents stay at an average increase of 9.7% per year. Republican Presidents out borrowed and spent Democratic presidents by a three to one ratio. Putting that in very real terms; for every dollar a Democratic president has raised the national debt in the past 59 years Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.99[5].
Prior to the Neo-Conservative takeover of the Republican Party there was not much difference between the two parties' debt philosophy. They both worked together to minimize it. However the debt has been on a steady incline ever since the Reagan presidency. The only exception to the steep increase over the last 25 years was during the Clinton presidency, when he brought spending under control and the debt growth down to almost zero.
Comparing the borrowing habits of the two parties since 1981, when the Neo-Conservative movement really took hold and government spending raced out of control, it is extremely obvious that the big spenders in Washington are Republicans and their party's presidents. The only Democratic president since then, Mr. Clinton raised the national debt an average of 4.3% per year. The Republican presidents (Reagan, Bush, and Bush II) raised the debt an average of 10.8% per year. That is, for every dollar a Democratic President has raised the national debt in the past 25 years, Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.53[6]. Any way you look at it Neo-Conservative Republican presidents cannot or will not control government spending.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3750
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
He's also notorious for not leaving much of a paper trail...
as·per·sion (-spûrzhn, -shn)
n.
1. a. An unfavorable or damaging remark; slander: Don't cast aspersions on my honesty.
b. The act of defaming or slandering.(http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/images/2005/11/18/biggest_liar_05_sign_470x353.jpg)
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
But akuptsky...telling a lie is so much more fun.
Ever since Reagan got elected, the republicans have thought that "acting" is more important than "doing". Read the script and don't question the truth.
Line please!
That's hilarious. Obama must be lying. He released the information on the earmarks I mentioned.
I was waiting for the regular numb-skulls to post a claim that Obama made fewer requests or something, but I didn't expect them to stretch it to $0.
You guys crack me up.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/
Oops! Guess your talking-points are a bit off.
Perhaps it's a right-wing conspiracy?
Those pesky Repubs control the Senate website you know.
Waterboy, while I respect your opinion, I am tired of angry talking points, so I will continue to post traps. Please do your research. It will serve you better
LOL. Guess that makes you a master baiter. [B)] Keep going on with your verbal masterbation and republican talking points and change the debate strategy and I'll continue to call you names... because you deserve them... you consistently debase real debate...
You know, over the course of the last couple of years, I mistook you for some sort of libertarian/independent but when push comes to shove.... you are a complete and total SHILL for the Republican Party...
Although I'm sure you and Conan were fully supportive of McCain-Feingold... otherwise this earmark topic would just be a disingenous distraction from other more important issues, no?
Here's the TRUTH. Republican presidents are bigger spenders than their democrat opponents... so even if the FIVE senators who don't request any earmarks convince the 95 that do (including #81 ranked Barack Obama), Republicans will simply find some other loophole that will allow spending for pork projects they will use to get re-elected...
http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm
Since 1938 the Democrats have held the White house for 35 years, the Republicans for 34. Over that time the national debt has increased at an average annual rate of 8.7%. In years Democrats were in the White House there was an average increase of 8.3%. In years the Republicans ran the White House the debt increased an average 9.7% per year. Those averages aren't that far apart, but they do show a bias toward more borrowing by Republicans than Democrats even including World War II.
If you look at the 59-year record of debt since the end of WWII, starting with Truman's term, the difference between the two parties' contributions to our national debt level change considerably. Since 1946, Democratic presidents increased the national debt an average of only 3.2% per year. The Republican presidents stay at an average increase of 9.7% per year. Republican Presidents out borrowed and spent Democratic presidents by a three to one ratio. Putting that in very real terms; for every dollar a Democratic president has raised the national debt in the past 59 years Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.99[5].
Prior to the Neo-Conservative takeover of the Republican Party there was not much difference between the two parties' debt philosophy. They both worked together to minimize it. However the debt has been on a steady incline ever since the Reagan presidency. The only exception to the steep increase over the last 25 years was during the Clinton presidency, when he brought spending under control and the debt growth down to almost zero.
Comparing the borrowing habits of the two parties since 1981, when the Neo-Conservative movement really took hold and government spending raced out of control, it is extremely obvious that the big spenders in Washington are Republicans and their party's presidents. The only Democratic president since then, Mr. Clinton raised the national debt an average of 4.3% per year. The Republican presidents (Reagan, Bush, and Bush II) raised the debt an average of 10.8% per year. That is, for every dollar a Democratic President has raised the national debt in the past 25 years, Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.53[6]. Any way you look at it Neo-Conservative Republican presidents cannot or will not control government spending.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3750
I agree with most of that. Years ago I was a Democrat until I could no longer agree with the pandering and illogical decisions made in the name of "caring for the people." I came to realize that nearly all of these programs served to harm the people by creating a nanny state and strangling the people's abilities to create, invent, start and run their own businesses. Unions insulated workers in industries that would never take advantage of the full potential of their character or capabilities. Nearly all Democratic spending was designed to buy votes, and little of it went to the real function of government (infrastructure and national defense).
So I became a Republican until I realized that the revenue that Republicans could generate by stimulating business was already spent. Granted a good amount was spent on better less consumable commodities, like national defense, and large scale infrastructure, but a majority was still funneled to worthless earmarks designed to pander and purchase votes.
I realized that there is no home for me in either party. But. . . In an election it is necessary to choose the candidate that will do the least harm to the country, and at this time that person is not Obama.
We can debate this up and down, but if you want to participate in the debate by showing me how much more the Republicans spend than the Democrats, you are preaching to the choir brother!
We may debate over what it is spent on, but the amounts are in no question. There needs to be less spending period.
Liberal talking points. . .3. . .2. . . 1
Voters who live off taxpayers are the Democrats' ace in the hole. The Democrats created big programs and never let the recipients forget it. This gives them an initial advantage of tens of millions of votes in any presidential election. – Joseph Sobran
I have to thank you, Gas. Its very enlightening to get a glimpse of how the cynical rationalization process of Tulsa "Independent/Republicans" works. Its a Rube Goldberg mechanism that brings you around to where you started. Seriously, you paint yourselves into corners then justify it by blaming it on the paint.
If we could just get rid of those unions, welfare recipients, democrats and liberals, this country could get back to the greatness that was....1895!
I'm still not sure why you bother to be involved with talking politics unless its just the thrill of poking others in the eye, being a potential spoiler or just being able to say, "at the last minute I voted for the lesser of the two evils, which was (surprise!)a Republican" with a free conscience.
I'll stop harassing you. I think I've gleaned about as much as is possible.
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
I have to thank you, Gas. Its very enlightening to get a glimpse of how the cynical rationalization process of Tulsa "Independent/Republicans" works. Its a Rube Goldberg mechanism that brings you around to where you started. Seriously, you paint yourselves into corners then justify it by blaming it on the paint.
If we could just get rid of those unions, welfare recipients, democrats and liberals, this country could get back to the greatness that was....1895!
I'm still not sure why you bother to be involved with talking politics unless its just the thrill of poking others in the eye, being a potential spoiler or just being able to say, "at the last minute I voted for the lesser of the two evils, which was (surprise!)a Republican" with a free conscience.
I'll stop harassing you. I think I've gleaned about as much as is possible.
Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am cynical. The current abuse of the system begs it.
I am also an optimist, and only through meaningful discourse can I grow.
I enjoy focusing that discourse on politics just as you do. I attempt to divorce myself from the regurgitation of talking points or political mantras.
The issues intrigue me and force me to research their origins.
So call me what names you will.
Again, I will say that I respect your opinions, though I may not agree with them.
I will always try to be a gentleman.
The funny thing about this "Democrats will spend us into the poorhouse" meme is that it's just not true, and it hasn't been true for more than 25 years. Since Carter, look who's throwing the money around:
(http://www.cato.org/images/homepage/edwards_0907.jpg)
Knowing this, as I'm sure you do, I can't help but see your objections as objections not to spending level but to spending priorities. Which, IMHO, is what ALL arguments about government spending boil down to. It's not how much money is being spent, it's on who. And at this point, I think we can all agree that this "nanny-state" bull**** is code for "spending for the poor." Which we wouldn't want to do, because certainly WE wouldn't want to interfere with the free market, who will tell us who should be poor and who shouldn't.
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
The funny thing about this "Democrats will spend us into the poorhouse" meme is that it's just not true, and it hasn't been true for more than 25 years. Since Carter, look who's throwing the money around:
(http://www.cato.org/images/homepage/edwards_0907.jpg)
Knowing this, as I'm sure you do, I can't help but see your objections as objections not to spending level but to spending priorities. Which, IMHO, is what ALL arguments about government spending boil down to. It's not how much money is being spent, it's on who. And at this point, I think we can all agree that this "nanny-state" bull**** is code for "spending for the poor." Which we wouldn't want to do, because certainly WE wouldn't want to interfere with the free market, who will tell us who should be poor and who shouldn't.
On total outlays: LBJ matches Ford. Clinton matches Nixon and Bush I. Carter matches Bush III. Curious bedfellows.
There seems to be no trend, only a ying yang cycle which probably follows the economy somewhat.
But the real meat of your post is proved in the defense vs non-defense spending. Reagan at the lowest non defense with the second lowest being Clinton. The highest defense spending being Bush III who outdid LBJ. I would like to see those numbers expressed as a proportion each one had of defense to non-defense.
Am I reading this right? Is it the annual % change during each term? Or the average of all the years served?
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