Funding health care of illegial aliens, "frost emergency" despite great crop year, senior rec center and a train station

Federal Frost Emergency Declared, Despite “Great Crop” Year
Emergency declaration opens door to low-interest federal loans, despite few reports of damage

Michigan farmers will have the opportunity to apply for low-interest government loans this year due to the declaration of an emergency over cold temperatures and frost damage to crops. One article, though, explains that many farmers didn’t actually feel any negative impact from the weather, and despite the frost are going to have a good year:

With the freezing temperatures and frost across the state in May Governor Granholm declared 28 counties federal disaster areas, available for emergency low-interest federal loans.

Even with the hail and frost Mark says, “We're going to have a good quality crop this year, as it stands right now.”

The apple crop is looking healthy this year and so are the other West Michigan fruits.(read more)

American taxpayers will be expected to provide these low-interest loans to Michigan farmers. This country cannot stand by for long and allow potential abuses such as this to bankrupt the national Treasury.

$400,000 To Be Spent On Rec Center for Seniors
Oklahoma’s taxpaying seniors pay for this effort, but don’t benefit in return

The federal government will be supplying nearly half a million dollars to fund the construction of a recreational center for senior citizens in New York. While it is vitally important for small communities to do all they can to support senior citizens, it is not fair to help only some. While the federal government is funding seniors in New York with money from taxpayers across the country, seniors in Oklahoma are not only contributing their money, but are fending for themselves. Re-distribution of other people’s wealth is a complicated game. 

Huge $6.2 Million Earmark for NJ Train Station
Nation to pay millions to relieve traffic congestion on Rt. 80 in New Jersey, traffic remains elsewhere

Despite the fact that traffic is a growing problem nation-wide, New Jersey’s Rt. 80 has been singled out for special attention in the form of $6.2 million to build a train station. It is hoped that by building a station, traffic will decrease:

NJ Transit will add 57 spaces to the existing 228-space lot currently used by bus commuters and car-poolers, said NJ Transit Executive Director George D. Warrington. Warrington said that there is room for up to 100 more spaces, should the demand arise.

But, will spending $6.2 million on this station really relieve that much traffic? The article reports that only 57 spaces will be added to the parking lot, with room for 100 more if needed. Even if each car were full with passengers that would otherwise have driven, that will only decrease traffic by little more than 200 cars. All in all, removing between 50-200 cars from the road can hardly make a dent in the traffic along Rt. 80.

House Approves Raiding the National Nuclear Security Administration to Pay for Earmarks
$500,000 approved to research how plants and trees can be turned into alternative fuels

Millions of dollars will be spent on various research projects, all coming form the budget of the NNSA, if the House of Representatives has its way. NNSA (http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/aboutnnsa.htm) is the agency tasked with finding military applications for nuclear energy in support of various national security efforts. Yet, the House recently approved a bill to raid the NNSA budget to fund various pet projects for congressman’s home districts, such as the following:

-$3 million to Allen University in Columbia.
-$2.5 million to Claflin University in Orangeburg.
-$1 million to South Carolina State University in Orangeburg.
-$1 million to Voorhees College in Denmark.
-$500,000 to Denmark Technical College in Denmark.

The bill also provides $500,000 each to Claflin and Francis Marion Universities for a biomass research project that will study how plant matter — including trees, grass and agricultural crops — can be converted into alternative fuel. 

California Attempting to Hide Healthcare Funding for Illegal Immigrants
State would utilize federally funded Healthy Families program to funnel money to health care for illegals

One California State Assemblyman is fighting a $500 million allocation of funds into a program set to provide illegal immigrants with health care. The program, Healthy Families, receives federal funding and prohibits the use of such funds for illegals, but California is moving ahead anyway.

If California gave away more welfare than authorized by the federal government, then the state would be in jeopardy of losing the two-thirds of the Healthy Families budget that is paid for by the federal government. Additionally, federal funding of the entire Healthy Families program is scheduled to expire in September 2007, leaving the state to pay the entire cost of the welfare program for illegal immigrants.

It’s past time that Congress made absolutely sure this program does not receive any more federal funds.

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