From the office of Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
Appropriation bills are jobs bills, important for Maryland and our country, says Mikulski
Bill includes federal funds for lake dredging of Port of Baltimore’s shipping channels, responsible for more than 50,000 jobs across the state
U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski announced that she has secured $51.7 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout Maryland in the fiscal year (FY) 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, which was passed by the full Senate as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
“This bill is a jobs bill,” Senator Mikulski said. “This federal investment in the lives and livelihoods of those who depend on clean and open waterways will keep businesses open and keep Marylanders working. I will continue to fight to keep the Port of Baltimore and Maryland’s waterways a priority in the federal checkbook.”
Senator Mikulski has been a longtime advocate of promoting job growth though Maryland’s ports and waterways. The bill includes $13.9 million for annual maintenance dredging of the Port of Baltimore shipping channels, a major economic engine for America and Maryland, supporting more than 50,000 jobs across the state – including 16,700 direct jobs. Among U.S. ports, Baltimore receives the top rank for handling roll on/roll off cargo, trucks, imported forest products, and imported gypsum and sugar. It is also the second largest automobile exporter and importer in the country.
The spending bill includes funding for the following U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout Maryland:
· $13.6 million for annual maintenance dredging of the Port of Baltimore shipping channels.
· $18.3 million for the C&D Canal for annual maintenance dredging of its shipping channels, which serves as a shortcut for vessels traveling between Baltimore and points north.
· $11.8 million for the continuation of the Poplar Island environmental restoration project, which is taking clean dredged materials from the shipping lanes leading to the Port of Baltimore and using it to stabilize the shoreline, create habitat areas, and restore the wetlands of one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most valuable island ecosystems.
· $2.45 million for the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration program to continue efforts to increase the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay by restoring oyster habitat, creating new reefs, and planting disease-free oysters on the reefs.
· $700,000 million for Assateague Island in Worcester County for restoration efforts that will protect the northern end of the island and its fragile habitat.
· $1.5 million for the Wicomico River to dredge the upper river where the Port of Salisbury is located, the second largest port in Maryland handling petroleum products and grain. This waterway also supports barge traffic crucial to maintaining adequate fuel supplies for the Delmarva Peninsula.
· $58,000 for the Mid Chesapeake-Bay Island, to design the restoration of James and Barren Islands in Dorchester County using clean dredge material from the Port of Baltimore’s shipping channels.
· $1.9 million for the operation and maintenance of Jennings Randolph Lake in Garrett County, which provides flood control and recreation to Western Maryland and water quality and water supply for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
· $176,000 for the Susquehanna River to dredge the channels in Havre De Grace that serve rock quarries.
From the office of Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
“Appropriation……………………………….
(Now that’s an appropriate start for any upstanding Liberal’s communique.)
If this work is being done in Maryland, why are the federals involved? This is the primary problem with this country right now is the federal government budget is being used a piggybank by Congress to secure favors for their re-election bids.
Why should taxpayers across the country be forced to pay for improvements in Maryland, as why should Marylanders be forced to pay for local projects in other states?
All this money Mikulski secured is borrowed – to be paid back, with interest, by future generations. We are stealing from them.
The federal government is involved now in maintaining maryland waterways just as it was when maintaining waterways under Ronalkd Reagan’s administration. If, you want the Harbor to remain the number 2 importer and exporter of vehicles you’d better appreciate her efforts and stop making ridiculous arguments.
That much depletion in GDP would mean that whatever service or commodity you offer wouldn’t be needed as well. That is even if, you are a dress maker.
Because… this is how the game is played… both sides perpetuate the game. Babs has publicly stated that her hero is Inouye from Hawaii – the self proclaimed “king of pork”. They pull money out of your pocket because they are infinitely more intelligent than all you rubes and then divvy it up to all the lickspittle toadies so they can get re-elected. Don’t forget now, you’re too dimwitted to know what they’re doing… it’s all about the wonderful job Babs is doing for us. What’s ironic is that the same crowd that’s livid that William J. Bucksaplenty is rich will defend this type of action that’s designed to keep him that way.
89% of the funds are for “annual” or “continuing” projects. They will not create any new jobs. Also since we are borrowing $.46 of every dollar, $23.8 million will be borrowed. We are increasing the debt by $1,000,000 every 35 seconds, this will be completed in about 12 min.
So what if, projects are annual or continuing. That is what is necessary for some things to be maintained. Would you like for there not to be beach replenishment in Ocean City? Please, give the businessmen, annual tourist, and the mayor your name and phone number. so when the business falls off due to a lack of continuance to replenish the beaches they can call you.
In fact, leave your name and number for all the businesses, employees, and state administrators that would be affected either directly or indirectly when the port closes down due to your brilliant discontinuance or ceasing of annual maintenance.
You’d like to see everything return to the same trails that Lewis & Clark had to navigate. You don’t want interstates you want paths and trails. That’s brilliant. Think of the holiday traffic jams smart guy.
Hey “Qualified” Would you rather 89% of the money that is designated for annual programs be taken away, and thus make people LOSE jobs? And then when the port can’t operate because the shipping chanels are not dredged, would you rather not have any of the goods available from the Port? Would you rather all our Port-related jobs leave Maryland?
Actually – it all can be counted on as borrowed since we are in deficit. Not just the 46%. If this spending was cut – the feds could borrow the whole amount less.
This should be funded by Maryland and the regional states. Not by taxpayers in Oregon, Texas, etc. just as we would not want to be funding highway upgrades in Arizona. Federal money does not rain from the sky, it is taxed (confiscated)and the closer the money is taxed to where it is spent the greater the oversight.
If we keep spending with no restraint, there will be no jobs for anyone.
Why do we need to pull the cash from Maryland to DC in order that Barb can get it back for us? ITS OUR MONEY!
Is this really the time to spend 51.7 MILLION. And let’s hope the Army Corp. of Engineers do a better job here than they did in New Orleans for the past 50+ yrs. And here’s another thought: the government cannot create jobs. They can only take money from one taxpayer and give it to another person ( who may or may not be a taxpayer).
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