ARRA 2009: Titles V and VI

*Udpate 2.7.09: Here's a link to funding cuts since the bill has been in the Senate. It's pretty diffuse (for example the TSA lost 200 million, but they still have 1 billion), but a couple programs got hit hard.

Installment 4: Pages 90-114 Titles V and VI

Margaret and Helen visitors, here's the post Honolulu Sally was kind enough to link you to (thank you Honolulu Sally!).

To maintain some sense of continuity, here's the post that is an overall summary of the bill. Here's the post that shows the bare bones figures for Titles I and II; here's III and IV.

For those who are skeptical about this bill, look through each line and see how many items say "construction" or "education" or "outreach". Those words=jobs.

Title V: (pages 90-105)
Department of the Treasury

250 million to "Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program Account"
--20 million must be allocated for construction, training and outreach designed to benefit Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Native Alaskan peoples (here is what's happening up there in Emmonak in the Yukon Delta; way to go, Palin).
--5 million may be used for administrative purposes

District of Columbia:
125 million to sewer and water authority

Federal Buildings:
9 billion to Federal Building Fund (7 billion available until 2010)
-- not less than 1.4 billion used for Federal buildings and U.S. Courthouses
-- 1.2 billion for border stations
-- 6 billion for to convert GSA facilities to High Performance Green Buildings (construction jobs, communications jobs, etc.)


600 million to procure energy and fuel efficient (including hybrid and electric vehicles) for the Federal Motor Fleet
2 million Inspector General

7 million Recovery Act Supervision Board (these are the people who are going to post information publicly and act as a watchdog over these funds)

84 million: Small Business Administration
--10 million: Inspector General

15 million: Surety Bond Guarantees [sic] Revolving Fund
6 million: Business Loans Program account

(Administrative provisions 97-105; lots of information on protection for small businesses)

Title VI: (105-114)
Department of Homeland Security

248 million for the Office of the Undersecretary of Management
5 million Inspector General
198 million US Customs and Border Patrol salaries and expenses
--100 million for procurement of non-intrusive inspection systems to improve port security
--97 million for procurement and deployment of tactical communications and radios
200 million Border Patrol Fencing, Infrastructure and Technology
800 million construction
27.8 million U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Automation Modernization
1.2 billion for the TSA
572 million for Acquisition, Construction and Improvements for the U.S. Coast Guard
274 million for alteration of bridges

FEMA
6 million acquisition of communications response vehicles
950 million State and Local Programs
--100 million public transportation security, railroad security, system-wide Amtrak security upgrades
-- 100 million for port security grants
--250 million for upgrading, modifying or constructing emergency operations centers
500 million for construction to upgrade or modify critical infrastructure

500 million: Firefighter Assistance Grants
100 million for emergency food and shelter for disaster victims

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
15 million: Acquisition, Construction, Improvements and related expenses
15 million: science and technology development and research

Again, for those who are skeptical about this bill, look through each line in each of these titles and see how many items say "construction" or "education" or "outreach".

Those words=jobs.

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Recession, foreign relations, and a rube

According to the AP, Rhode Island now leads the country in what is being called a "Deep Recession" by some analysts. Unemployment stands at 9.3% as of last November.

What is really hitting home for lots of families is that the decline of our economy is sharpening despite all of the dollars being printed and thrown at the problem. I am starting to think the folks with the padlock combination for the bank vaults at the US Treasury really have no clue what they are doing.

It's not that surprising either, given that even big-wigs in the banking industry didn't understand the higher math (derivative calculus) that was the model for capitalism for the past eight years.

Yes, mathematicians were controlling the markets, not economists or those with an education in finance.

Sound familiar?

Think Michael Brown and the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina not that long ago.

In 2004 Bush replaced almost half of his cabinet positions, despite the promise in his acceptance speech that he would reach across the proverbial aisle. Nothing like changing horses in midstream (to horses who've never been in the water before).

Today, one of the best and brightest women in the US starts her confirmation hearing with the foreign relations committee for the Secretary of State position in Obama's cabinet. I was a bit leery of this choice (for my own personal reasons) but I am glad that she is getting a shot at the job. I think we need her steel and confidence heading into the mess created by the shoot first, ask questions later diplomacy that has become the hallmark of US foreign relations.

It is important, now more than ever, that we, as Americans put aside our beefs with each other and support our government AND criticize things we don't agree with by keeping in touch with our local and state representatives.

My lower back willing, I'm going to a peace rally for Gaza on Thursday afternoon on campus. It is being sponsored by a coalition of peace-proponents from across the spectrum:

The Lebanese International Organization,
Purdue Arab Society,
The Lafayette Area Peace Coalition (LAPC),
The Iranian Cultural Club,
The Turkish Student Association,
Amnesty International,
The Muslim Student Association.

I can't shake the disappointment that the local Hillel foundation is conspicuously absent from that list.

Our world needs more people involved who can put peace before ideology. Put hope and humanity before theology. It is only by this route, I believe, that our world will begin to heal.

If nothing else, it will give me something to think about instead of the speech Bush is planning to give on Thursday night. More and more I am starting to think about how he and Palin are cut from the same cloth.

Despite whatever tripe trips from his tongue on Thursday, this is what he's really thinking, swagger and delusional confidence aside:



Go 'way now, Georgie.

PS: Is it just me, or do any of you feel the momentum building again as we head into the final few days before the inauguration?

Thought for the day: Support our troops. We need them home. Out of harms way.

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I know this is old news, but I cannot. stop. laughing.

So I'm taking my daily trek through You-Tube when I come across this video. Sarah Palin is like a bad train wreck; I don't want to look but I cannot help myself.

Man oh man, did we dodge some serious bullets in 2008.

Here's the video the day following the only vice-presidential debate:



Now. Here's the transcript. You can scroll down and follow along if you like while you listen:

Q: One of the things you talked about last night was the flexibility that the vice presidency has--

PALIN: Yeah.

Q: --Uh. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: Uh. That thankfully our founders were wise enough to say we have this position and it's constitutional -- vice president will be able to be not only the position flexible, but it's gonna be sort of those other duties as assigned by the president. A simple thing. I don't think that was a gaffe at all in in stating uh what the truth is and that is we've got flexibility in the position, the president will be directing in a lot of respects what the vice president does. The vice president of course is not a mermber er, or a part of the legislative branch except to oversee the senate. That alone provides a tremendous amount of flexibility and authority if that vice president so chose to use it.

Huh?

And we thought Cheney was bad? Now think about Cheney with even more limitless ambition, lipstick, not a whit of conscience, or a flicker of brain activity anywhere on the monitors. It makes me think of the evil emperor from Star Wars when he kills Samuel L. Jackson's character shooting electric bolts from his fingertips, shouting: "POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!"

And the RWFN say Obama is the Antichrist? Please see above.

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Dear Santa

I know I'm not exactly on the good list this year, but I want to make an argument why I shouldn't be on the naughty list. Hopefully after reading this you will have a clearer decision about which to put me on.

Okay, so those terrible things I said about Sarah Palin (you know, your co-worker since the North Pole is so close to her Alaska state thingy. Watch out for that one, she might think she's qualified to do your job). I meant every word, but in a constructive way. I'm a teacher and can't stand uncurious, intellectually lazy people. Please give her a brain, like the wizard did for the Scarecrow.

Now, about mean trolls on internet blogs. I can't help but give them reading material so that they have facts instead of fantasy to support their arguments. Maybe give them all almanacs so at the very minimum they can look up stuff that's a bit more reliable than Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limberger.

The 58,000,000 Americans who voted for McLame/Saling (as in selling). Please give them back a shred of their dignity and help them see that people who voted for the guy who won ARE NOT their enemies. Maybe give them copies of Obama's _The Audacity of Hope_? Might be a good way for them to get to know a little bit about our soon-to-be commander in chief.

About the thunderous blast of gas I let fly in that big box store. I know I tried to pawn it off on the old lady perusing the tomato sauces with me. I'm sorry for that, but I knew I could get away from it quicker than she could. . .

I'm sorry for the parking spot incident on July 15. It was hot and I had been trolling around for ten minutes and I SAW THE SPOT FIRST, DAMMIT!

About that jar of apple sauce I dropped in the grocery store in April. I looked for someone to give me a mop. Surely you saw me look up and down the aisle before slinking away and getting in line at the registers as quickly as I could? See.
I tried. . .

I know this is an old one, but it might explain my naughty status for several years now. Yes, I DID IT! It was me that stole and xeroxed the chemistry final sophomore year in HS. I didn't sell it to the thirty people I shared it with, though. That should count for something and I've NEVER done anything like it since. . .

And last but not least, my short-comings in terms of writing my dissertation, I have been very consistent in writing my blog. Please give all my readers a million dollars each to thank them for the traffic on my blog.

To those that post comments, two million.

So as you're making your final checks, think of me wearing these:



I promise to try to do better next year.
Have a safe flight; I'll leave out the cookies (and some egg nog, too) in case you might pop by.

Sincerely,
Skyewriter

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What's your turkey doing the week before Thanksgiving?

Odds are it's not witnessing a Sarah Palin news conference (more on that later).

Let me start by saying I am not a vegetarian. And I respect people's choices in their food and expect the same from them.

I met my first vegan (I'll call her Sally) in 1995; she was a bridesmaid in my friend's sister's wedding. We were at a restaurant two days before the wedding: Sally, my friend, her sister, their 5 year old nephew (Sam) and me.

The 5 year old wanted to order a hot dog. Sally looked at him and asked: "Sammy, do you know how they make hot dogs?"

Sammy just stared at her.

"No?" she said. "Well, a baby pig is born, they feed the pig and torture the pig, then they kill the pig, cut it into pieces and made into hot dogs." And here I thought hot dogs were all ass and lips?

I'm not a PETA person (interesting that the Daily Picasso [at left 11/21/08] is a matador), but I do think animals should be treated ethically. I'm glad California passed the referendum on confined feeding limitations (but ashamed for them that they withdrew constitutional protection for gay marriage). K-Fos (confined feeding operations), as we call them here in the midwest, are disgusting, smelly operations where food animals "live" their "lives" in the smallest of "living" spaces, crapping on each other and in general misery.

That's a horrible way to live but I can't think of a worse way to die than to have Sarah Palin be the last voice you hear before the chipper gets you. Those turkeys surely deserve a place in turkey heaven for having to suffer this hell on earth. I didn't watch the whole video because I want to enjoy my turkey next Thursday, but it does have a warning that it is graphic.

I'll be having turkey next Thursday at my sister's home outside Chicago with 20 immediate family members. One thing I know for sure and with a great sense of peace; it will not be a Wasilla Oven Stuffer Roaster.

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Sarah Palin: America's Newest Millionaire

I read something that makes me feel like I do after I've watched a horrible movie and right before I wonder how I can get my money back. I think to myself: "I'm a way better writer than whoever wrote this screenplay."

Here's what I read today: the illiterate idiot, known as FORMER VP candidate, Sarah Palin, is cruising book agents to sign a deal for a reported SEVEN MILLION dollars. That's right. I was stunned when I read this.

After the most historic election in history, and all of the books that are in the works about our president-elect, how can she even have the gall to attempt to be literate when we all KNOW she isn't? Oh, that's right, I forgot. She's a narcissistic egomaniac (she's also a dick; just like this one). Oh, and I also forgot, she'll have a co-author. She's not writing anything. She. Can't. Possibly. String. Words. Together. Without. Using. Yoda. Syntax.

I want to start a movement (work with me, people) to protest the publishing of ANY book authored by this moron. Any ideas on how to go about this?

O.J.’s book got thrown in the trash.

Let’s send Palin’s garbage there, too.

No wonder she didn't want the Bush tax cuts to expire.

Here's the Millionairess herself pre-$150,000 of clothes, hair, and makeup:

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Elephants, rats, and the merits of gargling

For almost ten years the conservative voices on the "right" in the US have mostly been in harmony. The last several months have turned their harmonious chorus of "small government," "tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%," and "let's go to war" into a cacophony of "holy sh*t," and "I'm conservative, but not THAT kind of conservative (re: Palin)" and "what the H do we do now?" All one needs to do is look at the number of high-profile Republicans who abandoned the sinking Palin- McCain, um, I mean McCain-Palin ship. Chris Buckley resigned from his own FATHER'S publication the National Review over his endorsement of Barack Obama. Just yesterday, David Frum wrote about our president elect using his middle name (as if we should fear him because his middle name is "Hussein;" get over it). A few weeks ago he got his ass handed to him by my newest hero, Rachel Maddow; (see if you can count the number of times he blinks). He's also resigning from NR. What is wrong with these people?

As the Elephants scramble to pick up the peanuts, the left leaning side of our country is finally clearing its collective throat. It's just in the nick of time. I am convinced that the increase in blogging activity and message boards on the web has expanded the extent to which Americans will go in attempts at establishing a dialogue. There are some particularly stupid people who have access to the web and in flexing their 1st Amendment rights are spewing the most ignorant crap (see this moron; like Palin, go 'way now). However, I have been finding more and more blogs by people who are rallying the troops, educating themselves on the issues, and are finding a way to stay connected to others with like minds in this hectic, economically terrifying time.

I know we won't ever completely be rid of the lowest of the low in terms of uneducated racists and bigots, but we sure can try to raise our own voices, talk to people we know, meet and greet new people ("Hiya; welcome to post-Bush 43 America. Would you like a side of social consciousness and Democracy with that?"), and do our best to keep the morons penned (pun intended) in the circus tents where they belong.

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The Decline and Fall (?) of the American Auto Empire

For three decades (yes, three) the American Auto Industry has been in decline. The pace of that decline accelerated four years ago when oil prices started to skyrocket and folks were looking to buy more dependable, fuel efficient vehicles--two things American cars historically are not. I bought my first Honda for two reasons: it was uber dependable and uber efficient in terms of fuel economy.

Two years ago, American auto dealers were reporting a steep decline of SUV sales (also known as a trend). Yet, Detroit kept making the leviathans for another two years: Hummers, Suburbans, Expeditions, et. al.

Couple this with outrageous compensation packages for employees. The current union contracts for autoworkers read something like this: work for 20 years, retire with pension, and FULL benefits including dental, health and eye insurance for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE-- oh, and that includes the fam, too. That means that if I had started working for an auto maker when I was 18, I'd be one year away from retirement. Man, oh man, did I pick the wrong gig! American auto makers are suffering from a lack of foresight and a lack of spine. Between 1998 and 2008 the auto industry paid over one half of a billion dollars for Washington lobbyists. Let's see that number again:

+ $500,000,000.00

The lobbying year 2007 accounts for almost 30 million alone. They've had to cut back a bit, you know, because of budgetary issues. "Researchers" of the auto industry claim that millions of American jobs will be affected by Detroit's demise (researchers= lobbyist groups). Ernst and Young, the lobbying group that works for Ford, also represents Exxon Mobile* and numerous financial corporations. Are you getting a picture here? Washington lobbyist groups are staying in the black by having their dirty fingers in numerous secunda mensas**. This is only one example. A good source for clear, unbiased information (i.e., charts and graphs without commentary) on how corporations are keeping Washington in their togas is:

http://www.opensecrets.org


I know that what happens to the American auto industry will affect [insert terrifyingly large number] hard-working, salt of the earth Americans. They shouldn't have to pay the price for decisions made by out of touch unions and corporate hierarchy. For that, my heart aches. But Americans will still buy cars, that they will drive, that need to be fixed and washed and fueled. So why do the augurs of Detroit's decline and fall predict millions of affected American workers? I get it, there's local businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, etc. But take a drive through the midwest sometime. There's LOTS of towns that just disappeared because jobs moved away, folks wanted their kids to get a good education (since where they were living had little to no property value) and TIMES CHANGED! Technology has improved and to support an American institution that would rather howl and throw rocks at the moon (and ask for more rocks, please) than adapt is an outrage.

Perhaps, if ANOTHER outrageous bail-out of the auto makers is passed (they've had several), we should all contact our congresswomen and men to raise Hades about where that money goes. It should NOT line the pockets of lobbying groups any more than it should provide a gentle glide to safe ground via golden parachute for incompetent CEOs who have stood by and WATCHED while Detroit fell. (Perhaps, think of them as Nero.)

I am so sick of seeing Sarah Palin on the TV (muting, covering of the ears, resisting the urge to stab self in the eye). Why isn't the news media doing ANYthing other than talking about politicians? The election is over. Democracy cut off one of the Hydras heads. Sadly many more have grown in its place. One them I affectionately call "Sarah" (for sentimental reasons).

So while many of us are trying to keep our togas on our backs, think fondly of our Washington lobbyists (for if we bail them out, we own them too), participating in an orgy of excess and greed with corporate CEOs and crooked politicians with Bacchanalian abandon. Saluté!

*Check the June 2008 Supreme Court ruling in the Exxon Valdez trial that affected thousands of Alaskan tax payers, Gov. Palin.

**Latin for sweet desert or pies.

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Post Script November VII

How about that Joe Lieberman, huh? One thing I can say for sure today, I wouldn't want to be that guy. Eeechk.

Also, check out David Letterman's Top 10 new revelations about Sarah Palin on huffingtonpost.com. Hi-larious

Gotta love my fellow Hoosier.

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Do we still have to see her?

I know how that sounds. But one of the things I was looking forward to the most on November fifth was not having to hear what coffee cup knowledge Palin was spewing, what designer clothes she was wearing, which up-do she was sporting. If you need to know why, check out this clip from huffingtonpost.com:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/05/palin-didnt-know-africa-i_n_141653.html. For some reason the entire link isn't showing up, but if you go to huffingtonpost.com, click on the navigation bar tab for "Sarah Palin", it should be the first video that comes up. Wow. All I can say is wow. We all know O'Reilly defends her because she gives him a woodie. Or maybe he's just turned on by a gun toting, beauty pageant contestant who likes moose stew? Sounds about right for Bill-O.

Yeah, and dinosaurs and humans were on the earth at the same time just like on the Flintstones.

So, to avoid a litany of complaint (from this point forward), today I want to reflect on the youth vote and the amazing turnout. The first election I voted in was Clinton's first term. I was in undergrad. In the haze of my underage hubris I believed he might win or lose depending on my vote. He won, and I know my ballot didn't matter too much in deeply blue Massachusetts. Yet, I am basking in the fantasy that my vote (in newly blue Indiana) did help make a difference. Obama won my county by only 7,290 votes. Obama won the state by 26,163 cast ballots-- that's fewer people than the university I attend and at which I taught.

I had a student in one of my freshman classes last year who was from just outside Manhattan. One class day, our discussion focused on the memorial at the WTC site, and some students started talking about the war in Iraq. I didn't point out the fact that these two things are mutually exclusive because that would have started a whole new debate. Anyway, this young woman of whom I write was sitting in the front row; she was usually engaged in class discussions, but on that particular day, she looked uncomfortable. In fact, more than a few students looked uncomfortable. In a lull in the discussion, I asked the class, "Is this a bad topic for our discussion? Should we be talking about something else?" Sally (name changed to protect her innocence) reluctantly spoke up: "I don't care about the war. I know that's not a popular position, but I just don't." I was trying to hide my surprise, when she then said, "Yeah, I lived outside Manhattan the day the towers fell. I didn't care then either. I didn't know anyone who was there, and I don't know anyone who is in Iraq."

Out of sight, out of mind is what I wanted to say.

Now, I am a teacher that firmly believes in NOT pushing my views on my younglings. Never had I needed to fight the urge so strongly than at that moment. Luckily, I can think on my feet (most of the time) and was able to divert my focus to the class and not my own reaction. I simply asked, "Does anyone else feel like Sally?" More than a dozen hands slowly raised. I admit, my heart sank. Another young woman said, "I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one. I mean, it's like bad to not care about the war and stuff." (Again from another engaged and engaging student.) Some others volunteered that they didn't care about politics or world affairs in general. Many nods of assent to those comments.

I didn't teach this fall for the first time in five years-- alas, my funding ran out but I am still completing the worst paper I've ever written (i.e., my dissertation). I understand from the news that the youth vote was critical in deciding this election. I can't help but think that some small part of me sees why those students resisted thinking or feeling anything about our country and the state of world affairs. I might have felt that way on November fifth if Obama hadn't won. I don't need to be reminded of that potential outcome everytime I still see Palin on camera. One way I suppose to avoid my gag reflex is to watch Fox as much as I normally do--rarely, just for a giggle. I guess I should take a clue from my freshman foils and just mute the TV and close my eyes everytime Palin gets airtime.

Out of sight, out of mind. I'll let you know how it goes.

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