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Obama's Pet Power Plant Gets Stimulus Cash

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 16, 2009 9:15 AM CDT
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(Newser) – When the stimulus was in the works, President Obama went to great lengths to show he was sacrificing his top pet project—a clean-coal power plant to be built in Illinois—on the altar of fiscal responsibilities. “It shows that we’re serious,” a rep for Nancy Pelosi said at the time. “There will not be earmarks in this bill.” But the plant is getting stimulus cash after all—$1 billion of it, Politico reports.

The administration insists this wasn’t an earmark, because the bill doesn’t specifically carve out money for FutureGen by name. It just happens to be the only “shovel-ready” project to fit certain narrow criteria in the bill. Critics, like Sen. Tom Coburn, say the plant’s administration backers and lobbyists made sure that was the case. “FutureGen is the most expensive earmark in history,” says the Oklahoma Republican.

In this undated image released by the U.S. Department of Energy is an artist's rendering of the next-generation FutureGen power plant.
In this undated image released by the U.S. Department of Energy is an artist's rendering of the next-generation FutureGen power plant.   (AP Photo/U.S. Department of Energy)
In this Dec. 18, 2007 file photo, a Mattoon resident heads home after celebrating the town of Mattoon, Ill., being selected for the site of FutureGen.
In this Dec. 18, 2007 file photo, a Mattoon resident heads home after celebrating the town of Mattoon, Ill., being selected for the site of FutureGen.   (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, file)
In this undated artist rendition released by the FutureGen Alliance, is an artist rendering of the FutureGen power plant.
In this undated artist rendition released by the FutureGen Alliance, is an artist rendering of the FutureGen power plant.   (AP Photo/FutureGen Alliance)
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FutureGen is the most expensive earmark in history. And it is one of the most egregious examples of stimulus dollars being handed out on the basis of politics rather than merit or need. - Tom Coburn

If members of the Senate let every Coburn objection stop them in their tracks, the Senate would do nothing. - Joe Shoemaker, assistant to Dick Durbin

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 17 comments
fancygapva
Jun 16, 2009 8:27 AM CDT
Calling it an earmark doesn't make it an earmark. And earmarks aren't all bad. Earmarks have increased since the Reagan administration when the feds started sending less of the federal income tax money back to the states. They used to send it in the form of money to the states for particular purposes that the states said they needed. That had problems (odd experiments into the reproductive habits of screech owls, etc.). So the Community Development Block Grant and similar programs were developed to return taxpayer money to the states. During the past 20 years or so they have all but dried up. Federal programs that took the burden off states and cities, such as public housing were turned to Section 8 so that taxpayer money paid businesses for furnishing things that the govenment had furnished. Even those funds have steadily diminished. The Medicaid program was mandated for the states but the Feds pay less and less of the money (sent to it, remember, by the people living in states). Thus, earmarks. Sneaky ways to get money back to the states that don't necessarily address the best interest of the states.
Snowleopard
Jun 16, 2009 7:10 AM CDT
that $1,000,000,000 would have been much better suited for a windfarm or a solar thermal plant.
luluzz
Jun 16, 2009 6:28 AM CDT
What does abstinence education have to do with a "clean coal" company receiving $1billion???

Coburn lists 100 pieces of stimulus pork
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Barack Obama • earmarks • Tom Coburn • pork barrel spending • economic stimulus package • Obama administration • clean coal • President Obama • FutureGen

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