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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

More Pork for Madison: Rail Depot Gets Stimulus Money

Hooray for the stimulus! That's the cheer we should hear from all the Republicans who work at Madison's old railroad depot. The City of Madison has received a $158,700 handout from the federal stimulus program, via the South Dakota Department of Transportation, to fix up the 104-year-old building on South Egan Avenue.

Lake County Republican Party chair Julie Gross will surely have good things to say about all this federal money coming to refurbish her Chamber of Commerce office. Expect similar positive words from LAIC director Dwaine Chapel, who will surely tell his Republican friend Russell Olson that the federal stimulus program is much more blessing than curse: after all, just look at those nice new planters Uncle Sam is buying us!

Side note: the money is coming from the Department of Transportation. yet the depot serves no transportation function. How's that work?

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Update 14:55 CDT: Ah, the depot is also a transportation museum. Of course. (But what happened to the Coburn Amendment that Senator Thune voted for?)

If you're interested, here's how we plan to spend Uncle Sam's largesse (from last night's city agenda packet—click image to enlarge):
The $5,000 the city is kicking in of its own money evidently will go to pay for another pretty sign.

12 comments:

  1. Send it back! Send it back!

    Oh horrors, some out of laid off ex-Gehl employee might get a few months work hanging sheetrock.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Should read "out of work, laid off"

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder what community we're taking it from? (probably China so no problem right)

    ReplyDelete
  4. That money should go for your lake bike path or more state troopers. D.O.T. had the final say on this?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Must be the GOOD paint they're using.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just hope they bid out for the lowest bid on paint. This is the second time the city has gone looking for bid or estimate and not made it public. My brother paints houses, and he hasn't heard from the city either time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd rather see a structural investment in our local depot than see a $5 Million waste of funds for repairing the old Meridian Bridge south of Yankton, turning it into a walking/biking bridge that extends its life 25 years. That's a LOT of walking and biking. Is it worth $5 Million to retain that scary monstrosity if you're only extending it such a short time?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hmm, Rod, let's see: $5M divided by 25 years... that's $250K/yr. The LAIC is getting more than that in tax dollars each year... and I hazard the suggestion that a nice bike route across the Meridian Bridge will provide more fiscal and recreational benefit for the people of Yankton than anything the LAIC has done lately.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The SDDOT is letting the bids, but they will be approved by the City Commission, that was my understanding. Each part will be bid separately, so painters can paint and carpenters can...carp?

    First major renovation project on a building built in 1905 for $17,000

    Not bad.


    Matt Groce

    ReplyDelete
  10. By the way Julie Gross is NOT the Lake County Republican Party chair.

    Check your facts! :)


    Matt Groce

    ReplyDelete
  11. [That's what I get for checking my facts on the Lake County GOP website. They really ought to update.]

    ReplyDelete

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