This'n'That;January 29th[+][ACORN;PorkDetails]

Think This Is Fair?? A rising chorus of GOP leaders are protesting that the blockbuster Democratic stimulus package would provide up to a whopping $5.2 billion for ACORN, the left-leaning nonprofit group under federal investigation for massive voter fraud. Most of the money is secreted away under an item in the now $836 billion package titled “Neighborhood Stabilization Programs.” Ordinarily, neighborhood stabilization funds are distributed to local governments. But revised language in the stimulus bill would make the funds available directly to non-profit entities such as ACORN, the low-income housing organization whose pro-Democrat voter-registration activities have been blasted by Republicans. ACORN is cited by some for tipping the scales in the Democrats' favor in November. Basics Of The Porkulus Bill You look at this list. I don't see any jobs created. It all appears to be routine maintenance or construction. I Guess the administration is about minus 3,000,000 [jobs]. Isn't it way early to fail this badly?? Unless I grabbed the wrong bill, this looks like nothing more than a standard budget proposal. These are the dollar amounts without all the fluff concerning how they demand it be allocated: (1) Department of Agriculture—Office of Inspector General, $22,500,000. (2) Department of Commerce—Office of Inspector General, $10,000,000. (3) Department of Defense—Office of the Inspector General, $15,000,000. (4) Department of Education—Departmental Management—Office of the Inspector General, $14,000,000. (5) Department of Energy—Office of Inspector General, $15,000,000. (6) Department of Health and Human Services—Office of the Secretary—Office of Inspector General, $19,000,000. (7) Department of Homeland Security—Office of Inspector General, $2,000,000. (8) Department of Housing and Urban Development—Management and Administration—Office of Inspector General, $15,000,000. (9) Department of the Interior—Office of Inspector General, $15,000,000. (10) Department of Justice—Office of Inspecor General, $2,000,000. (11) Department of Labor—Departmental Management—Office of Inspector General, $6,000,000. (12) Department of Transportation—Office of Inspector General, $20,000,000. (13) Department of Veterans Affairs—Office of Inspector General, $1,000,000. (14) Environmental Protection Agency—Office of Inspector General, $20,000,000. (15) General Services Administration—General Activities—Office of Inspector General, $15,000,000. (16) National Aeronautics and Space Administration—Office of Inspector General, $2,000,000. (17) National Science Foundation—Office of Inspector General, $2,000,000. (18) Small Business Administration—Office of Inspector General, $10,000,000. (19) Social Security Administration—Office of Inspector General, $2,000,000. (20) Corporation for National and Community Service—Office of Inspector General, $1,000,000. Government Accountability Office—Salaries and Expenses $25,000,000, for oversight activities. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY BOARD. There is hereby appropriated to the Board $14,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agriculture Buildings and Facilities and Rental Payments, $44,000,000 Buildings and Facilities, $209,000,000 Salaries and Expenses, $245,000,000 Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations, $350,000,000 Watershed Rehabilitation Program, $50,000,000 RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Rural community advancement program, $5,838,000,000 RURAL HOUSING SERVICE Loans To Section 502 Borrowers, $22,129,000,000. Maintenance, Compliance, Safety and Soundness of Loans, $1,750,000. RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE For Grants, $2,825,000,000. FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE special supplemental nutrition program, $100,000,000. management and oversight, $4,500,000. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS Periodic Censuses and Programs, $1,000,000,000. Salaries and Expenses, $350,000,000. Wireless and Broadband Deployment Grant Programs, $2,825,000,000. Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program, $650,000,000. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY Scientific and Technical Research and Services, $100,000,000. Industrial Technology Services, $100,000,000. Construction of Research Facilities, $300,000,000. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Operations, Research, and Facilities, $400,000,000. Procurement, Acquisition and Construction, $600,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, $3,000,000,000. Community Oriented Policing Services, $1,000,000,000. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION Science, $400,000,000. Aeronautics, $150,000,000. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance, $50,000,000. Research and Related Activities, $2,500,000,000. Education and Human Resources, $100,000,000. Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction, $400,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (1) Operation and Maintenance, Army, $1,490,804,000. (2) Operation and Maintenance, Navy, $624,380,000. (3) Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps, $128,499,000. (4) Operation and Maintenance, Air Force, $1,236,810,000. (5) Defense Health Program, $454,658,000. (6) Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve, $110,899,000. (7) Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve, $62,162,000. (8) Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve, $45,038,000. (9) Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve, $14,881,000. (10) Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard, $302,700,000. (11) Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard, $29,169,000. ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, DEFENSE (1) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, $87,500,000. (2) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, $87,500,000. (3) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, $87,500,000. (4) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, $87,500,000. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY-CORPS OF ENGINEERS; CIVIL Construction, $2,000,000,000. Mississippi River and Tributaries, $250,000,000. Operation and Maintenance, $2,225,000,000. Regulatory Program, $25,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Water and Related Resources, $500,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, $18,500,000,000. Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, $4,500,000,000. For the cost of guaranteed loans, $1,000,000,000. For the cost of guaranteed loans, $500,000,000. Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, $8,000,000,000. Fossil Energy, $2,400,000,000. Science, $2,000,000,000. Defense Environmental Cleanup, $500,000,000. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Federal Buildings Fund, $7,700,000,000. General Services Administration’s Motor Vehicle Acquisition and Motor Vehicle Leasing programs, $600,000,000. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Direct loans and loan guarantees, $426,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Salaries and Expenses, $100,000,000. Construction, $150,000,000. Aviation Security, $500,000,000. Alteration of Bridges, $150,000,000. Emergency Food and Shelter, $200,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Construction, $325,000,000. UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Construction, $300,000,000. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Construction, $1,700,000,000. NATIONAL MALL REVITALIZATION FUND construction, improvements, repair, or replacement of facilities, National Park Service, National Mall in Washington, DC, $200,000,000. CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE Challenge cost share agreements, $100,000,000. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Surveys, Investigations, and Research, $200,000,000. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS Construction, $500,000,000. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Hazardous Substance Superfund, $800,000,000. Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program, $200,000,000. State and Tribal Assistance Grants, $8,400,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-FOREST SERVICE Capital Improvement and Maintenance, $650,000,000. Wildland Fire Management, $850,000,000. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Facilities Capital, $150,000,000. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Grants and Administration, $50,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Training and Employment Services (”WIA”), $4,000,000,000. Community Service Employment for Older Americans, $120,000,000. State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations, $500,000,000. Departmental Management, $80,000,000. Office of Job Corps, $300,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services, $2,188,000,000. Disease Control, Research, and Training, $1,500,000,000. Office of the Director, $1,500,000,000. Buildings and Facilities, $500,000,000. Healthcare Research and Quality, $700,000,000. Comparative effectiveness research to be allocated at the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, $400,000,000. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, $1,000,000,000. Payments to States for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, $2,000,000,000. Children and Families Services Programs, $3,200,000,000. Aging Services Programs, $200,000,000. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, $2,000,000,000. Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, $430,000,000. Development and purchase of vaccine, antivirals, necessary medical supplies, diagnostics, and other surveillance tools, $420,000,000. Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, $50,000,000. Prevention and Wellness Fund, $3,000,000,000. Indian Health Facilities, $550,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Education for the Disadvantaged (”ESEA”), $13,000,000,000. Impact Aid, $100,000,000. School Improvement Programs (”ESEA”), $1,066,000,000. Innovation and Improvement (”ESEA”), $225,000,000. Special Education (”IDEA”), $13,600,000,000. Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research, $700,000,000. Student Financial Assistance (”HEA”), $16,126,000,000. Student Aid Administration, $100,000,000. Institute of Education Sciences, $250,000,000. School modernization, renovation, and repair, $14,000,000,000. Higher education modernization, renovation and repair, $6,000,000,000. Domestic Volunteer Service $160,000,000. National Service Trust$40,000,000. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION Limitation on Administrative Expenses, $900,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Military Construction, Army, $920,000,000. Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps, $350,000,000. Military Construction, Air Force, $280,000,000. Military Construction, Defense-Wide, $3,750,000,000. Military Construction, Army National Guard, $140,000,000. Military Construction, Air National Guard, $70,000,000. Military Construction, Army Reserve, $100,000,000. Military Construction, Navy Reserve, $30,000,000. Military Construction, Air Force Reserve, $60,000,000. Department of Defense Base Closure, $300,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Medical Facilities for maintenance, including energy projects, $950,000,000. National Cemetery Administration for monument and memorial repairs, $50,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Capital Investment Fund, $276,000,000. INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO CONSTRUCTION Construction for water quantity, repair and rehabilitation, $224,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Grants-in-Aid for Airports, $3,000,000,000. For projects and activities eligible, $30,000,000,000. Capital Assistance for Intercity Passenger Rail Service, $300,000,000. capital grants to Amtrak, $800,000,000. transit capital assistance grants, $6,000,000,000. Fixed Guideway Infrastructure Investment, $2,000,000,000. Capital Investment Grants, $1,000,000,000. Public Housing Capital Fund, $5,000,000,000. Elderly, Disabled and Section 8 assisted Housing Energy Retrofit, $2,500,000,000. Native American Housing Block Grants, $500,000,000. Community Development Fund, $1,000,000,000. HOME Investment Partnerships Program, $1,500,000,000. Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program, $10,000,000. Homeless Assistance Grants, $1,500,000,000. Lead Hazard Reduction, $100,000,000. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, $79,000,000,000. Til Nex'Time......