Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is getting to keep the $452 million. And, there are now no restrictions on how the money has to be spent: they could build the controversial bridges, or they could spend it on other things.
Oddly enough:
Stevens said he has no choice but to live with his colleagues' decision.
"We're getting attacked from […]
Townhall has the scoop:
Capitol Report has learned about a provision tucked away in the Senate Budget Reconciliation Bill that would direct Medicaid money intended for Katrina affected states (Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana) to Alaska.
The Budget Reconciliation package (PDF) contains $71.4 billion in new savings but it also spends $32.4 billion. Portions of that new spending were […]
The Coburn Amendment, which would have rolled back some pork, failed last week. The presumed reason: it wasn't stuffed with pork. NOLA reports on the movement here.
The LAT article "Lobbyists Shape Gulf Coast Rebuilding" has more on just how much say corporations got in Louisiana's rebuilding plan. Bear in mind, that article is about the state's plan, the one they want $250 billion for. See "Louisiana wants $40 billion; stuffed with pork" for previous coverage.
From the LAT:
…"I was basically shocked," said […]
The AP rounds up Louisiana's plan to get billions of dollars from the feds in "$40B La. Protection Plan Sparks Debate":
A $40 billion plan to hurricane-proof the Louisiana coast has ignited a battle over how best to prevent a repeat of this year's double flooding of New Orleans.
Endorsed by the state's congressional delegation, the proposal […]
According to the WaPo editorial "Louisiana's Looters", the Louisiana government's plan for a pork-stuffed "Pelican Commission" funded by $250 billion puts them in the really bad looters category. They aren't just the looters that grab a couple TV sets, they're the type that grab more than they could ever use. Further:
…The Louisiana delegation has apparently […]
That alone should raise suspicions, but, as previously reported that's only part of what they want: Landrieu, Vitter want $250 billion.
WaPo offers "Louisiana Goes After Federal Billions":
Louisiana's congressional delegation has requested $40 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, about 10 times the annual Corps budget for the entire […]
Bozeman, MT's city commission has apparently offered to give $4 million in federal funds back in order to help pay for Katrina. The money was to convert an open-air parking lot into a parking structure. NPR reports here.
