State Loses Federal Funds

[Karried]

State loses federal funds
Washington: Power switch in Congress leaves Oklahoma projects hanging
Democrats' move leaves some heads spinning, but it draws praise from Coburn.

From the Oklahoman:
Chris Casteel
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Special projects in Oklahoma ranging from roads to medical research were killed or delayed for months when incoming Democratic leaders said they wouldn't try to finish funding bills left by the GOP Congress.

Millions of dollars in state projects will be affected, a review of the spending bills by The Oklahoman shows. Among the "earmarked” projects that were scrapped:
$1 million for Metro Transit to replace buses.
$1.1 million in work on Interstate 40 between I-240 and Choctaw Road.
Nearly $6 million for a power substation at Tinker Air Force Base.
$400,000 for the American Indian Cultural Center.
$300,000 for the bombing memorial.
$400,000 for Integris Health to equip rural hospitals.
$750,000 for Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation facilities and equipment.
$4 million for McClellan-Kerr Navigation System work.
Dozens of projects secured by the state's congressional delegation were in the nine annual spending bills Republicans didn't finish before leaving for the year.
The bills were to be done by Oct. 1, but only two — for defense and homeland security — were sent to the president before lawmakers left town for the elections.
Election snarled plans
Republicans lost control of Congress in the elections and pushed the budget work onto Democrats by passing a resolution last week to keep the government operating at current levels until February.
Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., who will take over the appropriations committees next year, said Monday they're not going to try to finish the bills and instead will extend the funding resolution through September.
Byrd and Obey said they would be too occupied with the Iraq war funding request and President Bush's 2008 budget.
"This path provides the best way to dispose of the unfinished business quickly, and allow governors, state and local officials, and families to finally plan,” they said.
Pork cooked
The two said in their statement, "We will place a moratorium on all earmarks until a reformed process is put in place. Earmarks included in this year's House and Senate bills will be eligible for consideration in the 2008 process.”
Oklahoma congressional offices were working Tuesday to assess the implications. One lawmaker's aide said, "Many of these are multi-year projects, so cutting funding will delay or possibly kill them, depending on the circumstances.”
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, one of the leading critics in Congress of projects inserted into spending bills by lawmakers, said projects in the unfinished bills are "dead from an earmark standpoint.”
But he said he would help communities or other entities look for grants.
Coburn was among the conservative senators ready to block attempts to pass the unfinished spending bills in a big package, which Republicans have done for the last few years. Such packages usually are filled with earmarked projects that only a few people are aware of.
Coburn said the Democrats' decision could save tens of billions of dollars, and "It's a step in the right direction.”

[HOT ROD]

This always makes me wonder about Oklahoma's lawmakers?????

State loses federal funds. .............

but it draws praise from Coburn

????????????

Can't you all elect legislators who actually care about Oklahoma GETTING SOMETHING?! This is frustrating.

I mean, here in WA if we lost money the headline would be more like - WA lost millions due to election BUT SEN Y IS ANGRY AND WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Come on Oklahoma, stop settling for mediocracy.

[jbrown84]

I can't stand Coburn. He was a terrible choice. I know some of you don't like Kirk Humphreys, but he would have been better.

[AFCM]

If we let this happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves. WE are the government. Coburn is just a representative and if he's not fighting for OUR best interests we need to speak out.

[BDP]

Dam conservative Democrats!


Wait.... what?

To be fair to Coburn, he seems universally against excessive earmarks, which is what this action really targets. Oklahoma will not be the only one losing or delaying projects because of it. I can certainly respect that he is being consistent to his fiscal doctrine that got him elected instead of just abandoning it when it hurts Oklahoma. Now, if he abandons it when it helps other places like, say, UTAH, then it'd be time to kick him in the butt.

[Doug Loudenback]

This always makes me wonder about Oklahoma's lawmakers?????

????????????

Can't you all elect legislators who actually care about Oklahoma GETTING SOMETHING?! This is frustrating.

I mean, here in WA if we lost money the headline would be more like - WA lost millions due to election BUT SEN Y IS ANGRY AND WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Come on Oklahoma, stop settling for mediocracy.

I didn't vote for the contemptuous jerk. He's a gargantuan embarrassment for our state, as far as I'm concerned. I didn't think it would be possible to have a lower opinion of an Oklahoma US senator than Inhofe, but compared to Coburn, Inhofe is even starting to look good. Where are guys like Senators Boren, Bellmon, Kerr, when we need 'em?

Of course, it must be said, this fellow managed to persuade most of my sisters and brothers into voting for him. It's hard to stop settling for mediocracy, in that context, since the majority of voters got what they wanted ... for a 6 year tenure. "How long has it been since you've had a bowl of Wolf Brand Chile? That's too long!"

[Kerry]

Just the thought of Sen. Byrd getting rid of Pork makes me laugh. A study done a few years ago found more federally funded projects in WV named after Byrd then there were structures in Iraq named after Saddam.

Citizens Against Government Waste: Byrd Droppings