Yesterday we looked at grants to firefighters around the country, today we'll see where tax dollars are flowing for economic development plans through the Department of Commerce, as we try to give you an idea of how the federal govermment hands out grant money.
At issue today is money that goes through the Economic Development Administration. Remember, just because a project is listed here does not make it good or bad.
This is just an effort to demonstrate where money is funneled to by the Executive Branch.
One could argue that if any of these plans were included in Congressional legislation, they might be termed "pork barrel" projects because of their specific, home-state nature.
For more on these projects, you can go to the EDA website at http://bit.ly/c4ipk5 .
* $500,000 for small business loans in three counties in Massachusetts
* $500,000 for start up business assistance in depressed New York City neighborhoods
* $4.8 million for construction of a workforce training center at SW Mississippi Community College
* $800,000 for new water and sewer infrastructure in Fallon County, Montana
* $940,000 to repair a building in the El Dorado Business Park, Union County, Arkansas
* $1.1 million to renovate a jobs training center in Attala County, Mississippi
* $1.5 million to help areas near St. Louis deal with the closure of a Chrysler plant
* $2.1 million to build hangars and office space at an airport in Philippi, West Virginia
* $150,000 for a jobs initiative at California State University in Fresno
* $300,000 for Winrock International and Arkansas State University to spur farm production
* $500,000 to fund construction of a water line in Abbeville County, South Carolina
* $670,196 for renovation of a job center at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin
* $750,000 for a new small business revolving loan fund in the Rock Island, Illinois region
* $959,250 to help expand a business park in Mineral Point, Wisconsin
* $987,000 for a new wastewater treatment system for Hayneville, Alabama
* $1,112,223 to rebuild a county line road in Musselshell County, Montana
* $2 million for improvements in the National World War II Museum in New Orleans
* $124,000 to fund an infrastructure master plan in Yolo County, California
* $2 million to convert a bridge in Little Rock, AR to a pedestrian and bike crossing
* $150,000 for economic development aid to the United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota
* $150,000 to review economic development efforts and aid for Native Hawaiian communities
* $200,000 for a disaster resiliency plan for 11 counties in North Central Florida
* $247,515 to promote the advanced materials industry in thirteen southern states
* $450,000 to aid expansion of the Henderson City-County Airport in Kentucky
* $500,000 to fund historic preservation and renovation in West Plains, Missouri
* $540,100 to fund an industry cluster analysis in seven counties around Tampa, Florida
* $600,000 for a riverfront land use study in St. Louis, Missouri
* $615,000 for water and sewer infrastructure at the Wilkes County, North Carolina airport
* $676,920 for infrastructure at a city-owned industrial site in Princeton, Illinois
* $1 million for infrastructure at Witham Field airport in Martin County, Florida
* $1 million to renovate a building for uranium enrichment in Jai, New Mexico
* $1.07 million for a new workforce center in Talladega County, Alabama
* $1.2 million for infrastructure for a commercial development in Columbus, Missouri
* $1.5 million for infrastructure at a business park in Weatherford, Oklahoma
* $1.5 million to increase the capacity of a harbor in Port Lions, Alaska
* $1.54 million to renovate the Cleveland County Courthouse in North Carolina
* $1.67 million to help an ethanol production facility in Perry, Florida
* $2 million for infrastructure at an industrial park in Alexandria, Louisiana
* $3.57 million for a bio-sciences facility in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
* $3.99 million for a wastewater system in Western Palm Beach County, Florida
Not listed on the EDA website were other projects that I found on the website of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) which he said were funded by money from the EDA:
* $2.9 million for a new water treatment facility in Columbus Junction, Iowa
* $3 million to design roads in Iowa City to deal with past flooding
* $22 million to relocate a wastewater treatment plant in Iowa City
* $232,500 to reconstruct storm sewer infrastructure in Shenandoah, Iowa
These are 44 projects that I found, there are probably more that are not easily detected on the internet.
Are they integral to economic development? A lot of people in the individual areas that receive the aid would argue that these projects are a big boost.
The larger question is whether you would cut out items like these in a bid to reduce the federal deficit.
Just a little more Executive Branch Pork for your consideration.
Yesterday we looked at grants to firefighters around the country, today we'll see where tax dollars are flowing for economic development plans through the Department of Commerce, as we try to give you an idea of how the federal govermment hands out grant money. At issue today is money that ...
