Las Vegas’ proposed mob museum is a subject ripe for ridicule, and the
Republicans here have held it up as just that.
Now that work is under way on the economic recovery package of tax breaks
and public works projects being developed by President-elect Barack Obama and
congressional leaders, lawmakers in both parties are insisting that no money go
for earmarks — pet projects in lawmakers’ home districts.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, raised the mob
museum as Exhibit A in frivolous spending on a Sunday morning political talk
show on ABC.
“We would like, on the spending side, obviously, to avoid funding things
like a mob museums or water slides,” McConnell reiterated during a news
conference on Monday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in his own appearance Sunday on “Meet
the Press,” insisted there will be no earmarks in the stimulus
package.
Reid’s spokesman repeated the refrain on Monday when asked whether the mob
museum should get stimulus money. “There will be no earmarks in the stimulus.
Nada. Zero. Zilch,” spokesman Jon Summers said.
Las Vegas’ effort to secure federal money to help turn a historic post
office into a museum about its storied criminal past is something watchdogs of
excess spending love to hate.
The museum rose to prominence last month after Las Vegas Mayor Oscar
Goodman was quoted telling the Review-Journal he would seek funding for the
project in the stimulus package.
In fact, he said, he was hoping to suggest as much in an upcoming talk with
Reid.
“If we could get some help along those lines, that would be what the
stimulus bill was really talking about,” Goodman said at the time.
What happened next is a product of the 24/7 nexus of media and
politics.
The story went out the way stories do — on a local radio station and blogs,
including the Drudge Report, the conservative must-read site.
Republicans in Washington heard about it and, presto, a poster child was
born.
Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley declined to dip into the fray Monday with a
response.
Rep.-elect Dina Titus, a Democrat, chuckled when asked whether the
museum should get stimulus money.
“That wouldn’t be at the top of my list for infrastructure,” Titus said.
“I’m thinking more of highway construction is what we need in Nevada —
transportation infrastructure. You’ve got to be careful. The public’s not going
to put up with things.”
But Ted Olivas, Las Vegas’ director of administrative services, said he
remained “hopeful some of the economic stimulus money would make it to Southern
Nevada.”
“We think our projects are just as important as those of the other local
jurisdictions in the nation.”
Rumor is that after this pork-pit is built, it will be "piggy-backed" to it's rightful sty in Chicago ....
oink oink oink!!
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