Generational Theft Act Includes Water Slides, Dog Parks & a Frisbee Golf Course

Woof.

What a disaster.
Water slides, dog parks, Harley-Davidsons, golf courses, cash for Hollywood liberals…
These are just a few of the items included in the Generational Theft Act.
The Wall Street Journal reported:

Boynton Beach, Fla., is looking for $4.5 million for an “eco park” featuring butterfly gardens and gopher tortoises.

And Chula Vista, Calif., would like $500,000 to create a place for dogs to run off the leash.

These are among 18,750 projects listed in “Ready to Go,” the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ wish list for funding from the stimulus bill moving through Congress. The group asked cities and towns to suggest “shovel ready” projects for the report, which it gave to Congress and the Obama administration…

Shreveport, La., has $2.3 billion in projects ready to go. Mayor Cedric Glover’s priority is repairing roads, but he’s also asking $6 million for three aquatic centers with water slides, which he says would improve quality of life and create construction jobs.

And he would like the U.S. to buy Shreveport eight new Harley-Davidson motorcycles for its cops. This item would produce little local hiring, he acknowledges, but “Harley-Davidson is a great American company. Orders coming from municipalities like ours to a company like that certainly would be stimulative.”

The Conference of Mayors report has about a dozen golf-course-related projects. A lot of cities want to use funds to upgrade parks, such as Chula Vista, with its plans for a dog park that would include shading and fountains. San Bernadino, Calif., wants $1.1 million for park improvements, including a skateboard ramp and two “splash-park installations.” City officials in the communities say these aren’t their top priorities, but defend the projects as worthwhile.

Austin, Texas, could use $886,000 to build a 36-hole “disc golf” course, for frisbee tossing. It would be “environmentally and financially sustainable.” John Hrncir, government-relations officer, says the project list “was put together on very short notice,” and “we are not going to submit anything that is questionable when we seek actual funding.”

Obviously, Austin needs another frisbee golf course.

Senator Tom Coburn added this on what’s missing from the Theft Act:

“The fundamental problem with this bill is that it fails to address the root problem, which continues to be toxic assets in the mortgage market. The bill also includes a reckless bailout to states that would effectively nationalize state governments. A state bailout would remove any incentive for states to make hard choices and balance their budgets. This misguided step could fundamentally and permanently alter the relationship between state and local governments. I intend to address this problem with an amendment that would turn the bailout to states into a temporary emergency loan program that would allow struggling states to borrow money at a low-interest rate,” Dr. Coburn said.

At least, Republicans were able to nix the Hollywood bailout from the bill.
HotAir has the roll call vote.

John Boehner has more on the Generational Theft Act:

Here are some of the spending items congressional Republicans have identified in the Senate version as unrelated to significant job creation:

– $20 million “for the removal of small- to medium-sized fish passage barriers.”

– $25 million to rehabilitate off-roading (ATV) trails

– $34 million to remodel the Department of Commerce headquarters

– $70 million to “Support Supercomputing Activities” for climate research

More… The Weekly Standard Blog reported that this morning Rasmussen Reports will release new survey data showing that a plurality of Americans now oppose the stimulus package. There is now greater support for a plan that includes tax cuts only than for the Democratic package. And fully 50% of those polled say the plan that emerges from Congress may end up doing more harm than good.
Hat Tip Gregory of Yardale

Previously:
Surprise!… Dem’s “Stimulus Package” Looks Like Billion $$$ ACORN Bonanza
Pelosi Tells ABC Birth Control Will Help Boost Economy
Plane Stupid… Bailed Out Citigroup Buys New $50 Million French Jet
Nancy Pelosi Explains How Fighting STDs Stimulates Economy
Figures. Dem’s Crap Sandwich Gives Cash to Illegal Aliens
Generational Theft Act Will Re-Start Trade Wars
200 Top Economists Say “Stimulus” Bill Won’t Work
Unreal!… Stimulus Includes Government Plan to Crush New Cars
Pelosi: Pass Stimulus Bill or Lose “500,000,000” Jobs Each Month (Video)

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Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

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