By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
Email to a Friend
Stumble It!
WASHINGTON -- Tampa will get $300,000 for a new segment of its Riverwalk and $1 million to extend the TECO Streetcar line to the central business district under a huge spending measure given final passage Wednesday by the House.
Millions of other dollars in funding sought by Tampa Bay area members of Congress will go to items ranging from a University of South Florida program to deal with childhood obesity to buying new police computers for Plant City, to construction of a Polk County Community Center.
Earlier passed by the Senate on Tuesday night, the package blends the budgets of 14 presidential cabinet departments into a huge 3,565-page bill, totaling $555 billion in spending.
President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law.
But some critics say the measure contains too many “earmarks,” the items inserted by lawmakers for pet projects in their home districts that the critics say drive up the costs of federal government to taxpayers.
One Washington-based good-government group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, says it so far has found in the bill at least 8,983 earmarks worth $7.4 billion. Combined with 2,161 earmarks worth $7.9 billion in the already-approved defense spending bill, the group says that totals 11,144 earmarks worth $15.3 billion this year.
“This represents a reduction over previous years; this is a good start for taxpayers, but Congress still has a long, long way to go before earmarks get to manageable levels,” said Ryan Alexander, the group’s president. The group estimates that Congress has cut back on earmarks by about 25 percent from two years ago. Congress says it has reduced earmarks by 40 percent, while the Bush Administration says it’s closer to 15 percent.
“Over the next several months, we are going to find all sorts of buried treasure for special interests littered throughout the bill,” said Alexander.
The $300,000 to construct a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk was requested by Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.
She also got the $1 million for the TECO Line Streetcar Extension, to extend existing street car line from the convention center to the central business district.
Among the local projects funded in the bill at the request of Tampa Bay area members of Congress:
Hillsborough County
̺ $300,000 to construct a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk as part of a redevelopment plan; requested by Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.
̺ $1 million for the TECO Line Streetcar Extension, to extend existing street car line from the convention center to the central business district; requested Castor.
̺ $312,550 to the City of Temple Terrace for an interoperable communications system; requested by Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
̺ $300,000 for Basic Transit Infrastructure in Hillsborough County; requested by Castor and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican.
̺ $157,000 for tropical aquaculture at the Hillsborough County/UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin; requested by Castor and GOP Sen. Mel Martinez.
̺ $136,000 for the Plant City Police Department for new digital and computing technology to help in the collection of evidence; requested by Bilirakis.
̺ $141,000 for the Hillsborough County Advocate Programs, Juvenile Justice Services Project; requested by Castor.
̺ $564,000 for Temple Terrace Phoenix House, which provides therapeutic intervention for teens with low-severity substance abuse; requested by Castor, Bilirakis and Nelson.
̺ $135,000 for Tampa Harbor General Evaluation Report to study the need for added channel improvements to accommodate modern international fleets; requested by Castor, Buchanan and Martinez.
̺ $3.9 million in operation and maintenance funds for Tampa Harbor, to fun “Cut G” section of the main channel, shoaling needs in Port Sutton, emergency shoaling at Alafia Channel; requested by Nelson and Martinez, and also backed by Castor.
̺ $300,000 for HART Bus and Paratransit van acquisition; requested by Castor and Bilirakis.
̺ $300,000 for HART Basic Transit Infrastructure, to reduce backlog of needed roadside transit facilities, including contruction of bus bays, shelters, wheelchair landing pads, crosswalks and connecting sidewalks; requested by Castor and Bilirakis.
̺ $536,000 for the University of South Florida Childhood Obesity Initiative, a College of Public Health program’ requested by Castor;
̺ $121,000 for the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, to provide after-school programs to low- and moderate-income families with targeted reading math and science instruction; requested by Castor.
̺ $195,000 to fund a Stereotaxis Treatment and Training Program at University Community Hospital/Pepin Heart Center. Stereotaxis is a computer-controlled magnetic device system that allows surgeons to operate with a high level of precision within the heart and blood vessels; Requested by Castor.
̺ $3.5 million to construct an EOD facility at MacDill Air Force Base; requested by Castor.
Pinellas County
̺ $100,000 for a comprehensive plan and infrastructure improvements to revitalize downtown Clearwater; requested by Bilirakis.
̺ $200,000 for comprehensive planning to revitalize Clearwater; requested by Rep. C.W. Bill Young, an Indian Shores Republican.
̺ $100,000 for construction at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg of a center for programs serving low income and at-risk youth; requested by Young.
̺ $400,000 for bus replacement for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority; requested by Young.
̺ $260,000 for PSTA Bus and Bus Facilities in St. Petersburg, to replace 35 buses by 2009; reqested by Castor.
̺ $2.03 million for the National Forensic Science Technology Center in Largo; requested by Young.
̺ $695,000 for the Pinellas County Forensic Lab, requested by Young.
̺ $2 million for the Eckerd College Science Center in St. Petersburg; requested by Young and Nelson.
̺ $250,000 for Fort Desoto in Pinellas County under the “Save America’s Treasures” program; requested by Young.
̺ $500,000 for the City of Clearwater for Wastewater and Reclaimed Water infrastructure; requested by Young and Bilirakis.
Polk County
̺ $200,000 for construction of the Polk County Community Center; requested by Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican from Bartow.
̺ $235,000 for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office; requested by Putnam.
Pasco County
̺ $300,000 for bus purchases for Pasco County; requested by Bilirakis.
Florida
̺ $940,000 for Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, reef fish monitoring and research; requested by Putnam.
̺ $446,000 for aquaculture in Florida, California and Texas; requested by Rep Ginny Brown-Waite, a Republican from Brooksville, Nelson, and others.
̺ $150,000 for project to displace imported petroleum with renewables, such as feedstocks, municipal and agriculture greenwaste, citrus waste, and sugar cane residues; requested by Castor, Martinez, Nelson, and Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Ocala.
̺ $376,000 for the Florida State Attorney’s Community Prosecution Program, requested by Young.
̺ $580,000 to acquire land buffering or adjacent to Eglin AFB and its flyways over the Northwest Florida Greenway, and all Florida National Forests; requested by Castor and other House members from Florida.
̺ $750,000 for a Florida Renewable Energy Program; requested by Putnam and Martinez.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at (202) 662-7673.
Millions of other dollars in funding sought by Tampa Bay area members of Congress will go to items ranging from a University of South Florida program to deal with childhood obesity to buying new police computers for Plant City, to construction of a Polk County Community Center.
Earlier passed by the Senate on Tuesday night, the package blends the budgets of 14 presidential cabinet departments into a huge 3,565-page bill, totaling $555 billion in spending.
President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law.
But some critics say the measure contains too many “earmarks,” the items inserted by lawmakers for pet projects in their home districts that the critics say drive up the costs of federal government to taxpayers.
One Washington-based good-government group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, says it so far has found in the bill at least 8,983 earmarks worth $7.4 billion. Combined with 2,161 earmarks worth $7.9 billion in the already-approved defense spending bill, the group says that totals 11,144 earmarks worth $15.3 billion this year.
“This represents a reduction over previous years; this is a good start for taxpayers, but Congress still has a long, long way to go before earmarks get to manageable levels,” said Ryan Alexander, the group’s president. The group estimates that Congress has cut back on earmarks by about 25 percent from two years ago. Congress says it has reduced earmarks by 40 percent, while the Bush Administration says it’s closer to 15 percent.
“Over the next several months, we are going to find all sorts of buried treasure for special interests littered throughout the bill,” said Alexander.
The $300,000 to construct a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk was requested by Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.
She also got the $1 million for the TECO Line Streetcar Extension, to extend existing street car line from the convention center to the central business district.
Among the local projects funded in the bill at the request of Tampa Bay area members of Congress:
Hillsborough County
̺ $300,000 to construct a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk as part of a redevelopment plan; requested by Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.
̺ $1 million for the TECO Line Streetcar Extension, to extend existing street car line from the convention center to the central business district; requested Castor.
̺ $312,550 to the City of Temple Terrace for an interoperable communications system; requested by Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
̺ $300,000 for Basic Transit Infrastructure in Hillsborough County; requested by Castor and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican.
̺ $157,000 for tropical aquaculture at the Hillsborough County/UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin; requested by Castor and GOP Sen. Mel Martinez.
̺ $136,000 for the Plant City Police Department for new digital and computing technology to help in the collection of evidence; requested by Bilirakis.
̺ $141,000 for the Hillsborough County Advocate Programs, Juvenile Justice Services Project; requested by Castor.
̺ $564,000 for Temple Terrace Phoenix House, which provides therapeutic intervention for teens with low-severity substance abuse; requested by Castor, Bilirakis and Nelson.
̺ $135,000 for Tampa Harbor General Evaluation Report to study the need for added channel improvements to accommodate modern international fleets; requested by Castor, Buchanan and Martinez.
̺ $3.9 million in operation and maintenance funds for Tampa Harbor, to fun “Cut G” section of the main channel, shoaling needs in Port Sutton, emergency shoaling at Alafia Channel; requested by Nelson and Martinez, and also backed by Castor.
̺ $300,000 for HART Bus and Paratransit van acquisition; requested by Castor and Bilirakis.
̺ $300,000 for HART Basic Transit Infrastructure, to reduce backlog of needed roadside transit facilities, including contruction of bus bays, shelters, wheelchair landing pads, crosswalks and connecting sidewalks; requested by Castor and Bilirakis.
̺ $536,000 for the University of South Florida Childhood Obesity Initiative, a College of Public Health program’ requested by Castor;
̺ $121,000 for the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, to provide after-school programs to low- and moderate-income families with targeted reading math and science instruction; requested by Castor.
̺ $195,000 to fund a Stereotaxis Treatment and Training Program at University Community Hospital/Pepin Heart Center. Stereotaxis is a computer-controlled magnetic device system that allows surgeons to operate with a high level of precision within the heart and blood vessels; Requested by Castor.
̺ $3.5 million to construct an EOD facility at MacDill Air Force Base; requested by Castor.
Pinellas County
̺ $100,000 for a comprehensive plan and infrastructure improvements to revitalize downtown Clearwater; requested by Bilirakis.
̺ $200,000 for comprehensive planning to revitalize Clearwater; requested by Rep. C.W. Bill Young, an Indian Shores Republican.
̺ $100,000 for construction at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg of a center for programs serving low income and at-risk youth; requested by Young.
̺ $400,000 for bus replacement for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority; requested by Young.
̺ $260,000 for PSTA Bus and Bus Facilities in St. Petersburg, to replace 35 buses by 2009; reqested by Castor.
̺ $2.03 million for the National Forensic Science Technology Center in Largo; requested by Young.
̺ $695,000 for the Pinellas County Forensic Lab, requested by Young.
̺ $2 million for the Eckerd College Science Center in St. Petersburg; requested by Young and Nelson.
̺ $250,000 for Fort Desoto in Pinellas County under the “Save America’s Treasures” program; requested by Young.
̺ $500,000 for the City of Clearwater for Wastewater and Reclaimed Water infrastructure; requested by Young and Bilirakis.
Polk County
̺ $200,000 for construction of the Polk County Community Center; requested by Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican from Bartow.
̺ $235,000 for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office; requested by Putnam.
Pasco County
̺ $300,000 for bus purchases for Pasco County; requested by Bilirakis.
Florida
̺ $940,000 for Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, reef fish monitoring and research; requested by Putnam.
̺ $446,000 for aquaculture in Florida, California and Texas; requested by Rep Ginny Brown-Waite, a Republican from Brooksville, Nelson, and others.
̺ $150,000 for project to displace imported petroleum with renewables, such as feedstocks, municipal and agriculture greenwaste, citrus waste, and sugar cane residues; requested by Castor, Martinez, Nelson, and Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Ocala.
̺ $376,000 for the Florida State Attorney’s Community Prosecution Program, requested by Young.
̺ $580,000 to acquire land buffering or adjacent to Eglin AFB and its flyways over the Northwest Florida Greenway, and all Florida National Forests; requested by Castor and other House members from Florida.
̺ $750,000 for a Florida Renewable Energy Program; requested by Putnam and Martinez.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at (202) 662-7673.