Taxpayer Dollars at Work
December 20, 2010 11:58 A.M.
By Katrina Trinko
Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.) released today his annual Wastebook, which details lavish government funding on obscure projects.
“As you look at these examples, ask yourself: at a time when we are borrowing over $44,000 for every person in the country, are these items a priority and are they a federal responsibility?” writes Coburn in the introduction, adding that the cost of the 100 projects he highlights totals over $11.5 billion. Here’s some of the “best” taxpayer-funded items:
● $1.8 million to the Neon Boneyard Park and Museum, which collects and displays discarded neon Las Vegas signs.
● $2.9 million to a group of professors at University of California-Irvine for research on internet games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life and how, according to the university’s press release, they “can help organizations collaborate and compete more effectively in the global marketplace.”
● $239,100 to Stanford University for a study on how people date and find love online.
● $137,530 to a Dartmouth professor Mary Flanagan to make, according to Wastebook, a “video game called ‘Layoff,’ a puzzle-style game in which players fire as many people as they can as quickly as possible.”
● $150,000 to the Vermont town of Monkton to erect signs warning drivers to look out for salamanders crossing the road.
● $47.6 million to Atlanta, Georgia to build a streetcar system — on the exact same route as an existing subway system.
Read about the rest of the projects at:http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=774a6cca-18fa-4619-987b-a15eb44e7f18
From NRO
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
1. The offensive line deserves more blame than it has received so far this season.
Yesterday was a disaster for the entire offense, especially the offensive line. Michael Vick receives the majority of the blame but it's guys like Max Jean-Gilles and Mike McGlynn who get their butts kicked their whole game. How many hits did Vick take yesterday? 12? It was absurd.
2. Michael Vick's health is the key to success for the rest of this season.
If this man is injured, goodbye. The season is over. Kevin Kolb might win a playoff game. Might. That's all. He's the type of quarterback who would lead the Eagles to a big win in the wild-card round of the playoffs, then throw four interceptions against the Bears in the divisional round. Protecting Michael Vick is as important for the Eagles as the Fantastic Foursome is to the Phillies.
3. Chad Hall is a terrible kick returner.
Chad Hall was disgraceful yesterday. How do you return three kicks for 44 yards, with a long of 16? Seriously, how is that possible? And why did we sign Gerard Lawson if he's not going to play? Hall is lucky to even be on the team. A good job returning kicks yesterday would have gone a long way to determining if he earns a roster spot for next season.
4. No matter how poorly he plays, Michael Vick will turn in at least one highlight reel play each game.
Vick could complete 3 of 19 passes for -14 yards and six interceptions, and I'd put down money that he'll still provide you with a wow, did you see that, highlight reel type of play. Yesterday's juke on the 10-yard touchdown run was pretty impressive, as were a couple of moves to avoid a sack. He was still terrible for the entire game, but Vick is the type of quarterback who can turn a game around with one spectacular play that no one else on this planet can make.
5. The Dimitri Patterson experiment is officially a disaster.
He allowed three touchdowns in the first half of the Miracle at the New Meadowlands last week. And he was benched yesterday night for Joselio Hanson. Despite four interceptions, a touchdown, and some pretty impressive tackling, Patterson hasn't been able to do the one thing a cornerback absolutely has to do: cover the receiver.
6. Stewart who?
When Stewart Bradley returns from his dislocated elbow, hopefully in the wild-card round of the postseason, he may be the backup to Jamar Chaney. Chaney followed up his 16-tackle performance against the New York Giants with seven tackles against the Vikings, two for a loss. He also made a pretty impressive knock down on a deep pass across the middle. Not bad for a seventh round draft pick making his second career NFL start.
7. When the Eagles have never seen a quarterback before, they don't know how to win.
The Eagles frustrate me so much because we can't beat the no-name quarterbacks. I'm talking guys like Bruce Gradkowski in 2006, JaMarcus Russell in 2009, and Joe Webb in 2010. Webb still hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the NFL, but he didn't commit a turnover yesterday. He also rushed for a highlight-reel 9-yard touchdown, and completed 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards.
8. More than any poor in-game decisions he makes, Andy Reid's worst is knowing when to go for fourth down.
4th and 18 at midfield with four minutes to go, down by 10, and Andy Reid calls for the punt. Someone please explain to me the logic behind this. Seriously, I want to know. You're playing for a bye in the postseason. You have a quarterback capable of converting 4th and 18 with his arm or his legs (although it was obviously a long shot). And you give up. That's gutless. That's completely pathetic football right there. I couldn't believe that call.
9. The regular season is over.
Officially? No. But the Eagles have the third seed clinched regardless of whether they beat Dallas 44-6 or lose 24-0. Michael Vick probably won't play again in the regular season. DeSean Jackson shouldn't. McCoy shouldn't. It's annoying for guys into player stats like me, but I'm obviously more interested in seeing the Eagles rest up players for a run at a Super Bowl title than I am in seeing Michael Vick try to record his 10th rushing touchdown of the season.
10. The Eagles have about as good of a chance as reaching the Super Bowl as your average NFC playoff team.
Falcons. Bears. Eagles. Saints. Packers/Giants/(Bucs). Those are your playoff teams in the NFC. (Playoff teams who will finish without a winning record were not listed.) I personally think the Eagles could make the Super Bowl this season. Then again, so could the Packers. Or Saints. Or Falcons. Or any of the teams I listed above. No team stands out to me. Not one team. None of those five teams would surprise me if I found out they represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. A week ago, I thought the Eagles were the favorites. Maybe I was just caught up in the emotion of the Miracle at the New Meadowlands. Now I think we're an average playoff team compared to the rest of the NFC this season. Maybe slightly above average. But as far as reaching the Super Bowl will go, the Eagles will likely need to beat three quality teams, led by quality quarterbacks, with quality defenses. There are no Joe Webb's in the postseason. Stephen McGee will not be quarterbacking in the postseason. Neither will Shaun Hill or Alex Smith. The Eagles need to beat the best to be considered the best.
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