August 11, 2006

Here A Grant, There A Grant, Everywhere A Gran

While looking for a TDOT news release about contaminated seafood bound for Nashville, I ran across these little tidbits worth $12 million for 2006.

Now "granted" some of these may be high priority must have uses of our assets like armored personnel carriers in Germantown to thwart the rash of terror attacks and then, some are not. Of course the pro argument will be, "It didn't cost Tennessee anything." Sure it did. 3,000 average citizens handed over their income taxes so the state can pick and choose which local entities will receive government welfare, AKA "revenue sharing". Doesn't that sound better than waste, fraud and abuse?

$500,000 to assist with the development of the Franklin Gateway Corridor Economic Development Project

$1.3 million for Ft. Defiance Interpretive Center. Interpretive center?

$268,000 for South Pittsburg Rails-to-Trails Project.

When you read the grant announcements they all sound like nirvana will break out all over, people will be healed and the quality of life will improve which it will for the workers and contractors hired for these projects.

It's not Bredesen's fault. If you go to the Tennesse delegation's websites you will see a myriad of similar WPA type projects totaling over $70 million for FY 2006 alone. Both parites have used these vote buying schemes to waste billions of dollars over the years and see absolutely nothing unethical or immoral about it. It's called the "use it or lose it" syndrome. I had a relative who suffered from the Lesko Principle (they nut who looks like the riddler). They felt nothing was wrong with taking every last dime they could from the government because if they didn't someone else would. After all it's free!