Mayors' infrastructure request full of pork?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/12/18/mayors.pork/art.water.park.jpg caption="There is a request for a new $1.5 million water ride at the Grapeland Water Park in Miami, Florida."]
Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost
CNN Special Investigations Unit
A report to Congress that requests $73.2 billion to pay for infrastructure projects around the country includes plans for a polar bear exhibit, an anti-prostitution program, a water park ride, zoos, museums and aquatic centers, CNN has found.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors went to Capitol Hill earlier this month with a report listing 11,391 infrastructure projects proposed by 427 cities. The mayors claimed the proposal would create 847,641 jobs in 2009 and 2010.
The more than 800-page document is titled "Main Street Economic Recovery: 'Ready To Go' Jobs and Infrastructure Projects."
|
|
Filed under: 360° Radar • Raw Politics |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
No, it doesn't sound like pork to me. These mayors are making an honest attempt to find work for their citizens, with a residual effect of benefitting the population at large.
The real problem I see is with your "gotcha" journalism, trying to find fault where there is none. Don't you have anything better to do?
Infrastructure needs to be considered braodly for our country to thrive – public parks, zoos, schools, internet availability, AND crumbling traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges must all be considered public infrastructure and cared for accordingly. Projects should be considered individually and funded according to their impact on not only job creation but their contribution to the improvement of public saftey and long term well being of the country.
I'm not as amazed at all the pork being slipped into legitimate requests as much as I am at our public officials being so out of touch with the people they represent. I'm astounded at how many of our elected officials have been born into a vacuum and kept isolated their entire lives? It"s time they stop taking so many free junkits and walk the streets of their cities and start talking to those who put them there.
They need a shot of reality and we need to make them accountable to represent us in an evenhanded way. Perhaps we need to examine what our public officials make, what they receive in benefits/pensions when they leave office, they may think twice about who they work for.