This morning's Standard-Examiner announces that the City of Ogden may well become the beneficiary of a boatload of federal cash to clean up the Ogden River. We incorporate below the lead paragraphs of this morning's Scott Schwebke story, which provide the gist:
OGDEN — Millions of dollars in federal funding may flow to the city to clean up the Ogden River.Now we know that some of our fiscally conservative readers are bound to complain that this prospective financial windfall is just another example of Senator Bennett's propensity for pork-barrel politics; but please remember this:
A Senate committee has approved a federal appropriations bill that seeks funding for restoration of the entire five-mile stretch of the river that passes through the city.
The project could cost as much as $10 million, Jason Carey an engineer with RiverRestoration.org based in Glenwood Springs, Colo., estimated.
The federal government could contribute up to $6.5 million for the project and local funding sources would likely provide $3.5 million in cash, land or materials, he said.
At the city’s request, U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, succeeded in adding language to the 2009 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that makes the river restoration project a priority, said his spokeswoman, Tara Hendershott.
The bill has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.
"Appropriations such as these are only considered pork when they go to the other 49 states. Monies coming to Ogden are always well deserved!"
Reading between the lines, we suppose Ogden's high-priced Washington lobbyist probably had a hand in this too, so perhaps that 100 grand we pay him each year is well spent.
And what say our gentle readers about all this?
