I guess the idea is to get yours up front, so when the bill comes due, at least you will have something, right? In a 1,300 page document published in a measly 8pt type, we get down to the wish list of various small and medium sized governments, local public infrastructures, and apparently even private enterprise. The published list for those who wish to see yesterday’s lunch again is available in PDF and Excel format. This is simply Michigan’s.. Multiply it by 48 (50 would assume that the LA and SC governors get on board) to get an idea of how many beggars and thieves this new America has developed.This list of begging is long enough, and incredibly ripe enough to keep a daily blogger busy for years. (It will keep Tea Party Protesters busy to be sure) However, without that kind of time to fight it, Ill pop a couple of winners out so you can see what you and your kid, grand kids, and your family estate will pay for in the next 100 years.
As expected, the DNR has 38 pages of wild hoggy pleasantness listed, including but not limited to:
DNR Interlochen
Interlochen State Park – Campground
Electrical System Campground and day use building electrical system replacement and pedestal upgrades. merely $1,897,500.00..
Project beginning within 180 days after funding received
Project estimated completion 360 days after funding received
Multiply this project by the number of state campgrounds which directly compete with private campgrounds, and add a few that might even be a good idea in the public trust.
THEN there is the MDOC (Michigan department of corrections ..) which is trying to keep the funding it has already, and with Granholm’s current budget is facing closures and downsizing… Well heck, while we are downsizing them, lets give em a new sewage pump:
MDOC Ypsilanti, Pittsfield
Township HV Sewage Lift Station Replacement of existing deep well sewage lift station at the Huron Valley Corrections site. This is a infrastructure project that is necessary to maintain the operational safety of this site. Cost? $ 2,000,000.00 to start soon!! 4/1/2009, and only taking 5 months to blow this wad ending 9/1/2009.
But what the heck that is merely a small and insignificant desire as compared to the MDOC wish for “repurposing” existing bloat and infrastructure:
MDOC
Livingston County, Northfield Township
Maxey Acute Care Mental Health Care Program relocation and site transitioning MDOC and MDHS is partnering to repurpose the W.J. Maxey site to allow optimizing of the site for MDHS operations and the select Mental Health program requirements for MDOC Acute Care unit currently located at Him which must be moved to allow the closure of the SCOTT Facility. This program will refit the closed Green Oaks unit to meet the DHS Bureau of Juvenile Justice for a maximum of 100 clients. The Woodland Center would house the Acute care program and the Huron Center would be repurposed for RSC programming. In addition a 22 bed infirmary would be created in the Academic Center to operate with the mental health programming. $ 10,000,000.00 Start 2/9/2009 end 6/9/2009
But, MDOC could not be outdone by MDOC ..oh yeah same folks.. with a grand plan for new infrastructure:
MDOC
Munising, Baraga, Marquette, Muskegon, Coldwater, Painsedale, Kinchloe, Manistee, Marenisco, Lapeer Wind turbine generators Install wind turbines and all necessary equipment to supply power for prison demands. This will allow large consumption facilities the ability to remove their demand loads from the grid. [dmb-0005-G; MEDC- 00016] $ 60,000,000 Starting 180 days from award.
And when the wind stops blowing, we will just let the prisoners out.. Oh shoot.. I should have told you to put the coffee down.. Oxy-clean works really good for those stains.. OR.. you could do like the city of St. Louis.. In two months time you could have that stain removed for.. Oh I don’t know.. well you tell me:
City of St Louis
City of St Louis Velsicol Superfund Site Clean-up Project
Superfund Site Clean-up. Feasibility Study Nearly complete by MDEQ Superfund Division. Need State match of $40,000,000.00 for purported $400,000,000.00 estimated cost of project. $ 400,000,000.00 starting 7/1/2009 and ending two months later.. 9/30/2009.
Of course that would require More STATE money as well. My guess is they should simply install new printing presses for cash in each state that needs it.. I mean they want to put new presses in right up here in Traverse City right?:
Traverse City Area Public Schools ETC..
Garfield Township Traverse City Area Public Schools
Renovate existing warehouse operations to accommodate print shop. Print shop works with local ISD to help with supporting regional printing, shipping and maintenance including local governmental entities and local college. $850,000.00 beginning 6/1/2009 and without fail to end 12/1/2009
However, sadly.. Public institutions and the public schools aren’t the only ones with their hands out.. as we find with the asking of over $8,000,000.00 total by Grand Traverse Academy, a privately owned school (which provides Jobs!) and the largest part of that to build a school they had already considered, but was postponed due to “the economic circumstances and the bond market.” according to Ingersol, the CAO of GTA.
There are agencies, and governments, and business entities you have never heard of in this thing. There are so many processes, and plans, and upgrades to wildly varying programs and boondoggles, it would seem impossible to even sort the viability without a grant to merely read, and then apply a reasonability sticker to each item of perceived value. These are merely a freckle on a flea of the governor’s dog.
Yes Michigan.. as seen in the last two governor’s elections, our recent presidential election, and especially now, when we should be carefully guarding the legacy of the financial condition of our country, and Michigan’s, we have failed and are searching for even more of the same.
Yes… it appears we suck.