Darrell Issa has a Better Idea

by Lucas O'Connor [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Hammering on this a lot, but it just keeps getting more ridiculous

So Darrell Issa finds it inappropriate for the federal government to be funding medical care for sick 9/11 rescue workers.  Says Rep. Issa, "I have to ask ... why the firefighters who went there and everybody in the city of New York needs to come to the federal government for the dollars versus this being primarily a state consideration."

So as to prove that he's not just running off incoherently about hating rescue workers, Issa wants you to know he's proud of his alternative plans for spending federal funds.  To that end, he's triumphantly sent around a press release listing all of his new earmarks (word doc, h/t Chris Reed).  So what, you're probably wondering, has Representative Issa chosen to crow about that exemplifies the "local money for local issues, federal money for screw you" spending mantra?  Here's the quick list:

San Diego Regional Interoperable Computer Aided Dispatch Project -$6 million

San Diego Regional Communications System (RCS) Upgrade -$3.5 million

Gang Prevention Program (City of Oceanside) -$500K

Lake Elsinore Emergency Operations Center -$250K

Murrieta Creek Flood Control Project -$13 million

San Luis Rey Flood Control Project -$7.2 million

Perris II Desalter (Perris, CA) -$2 million

Non-Potable Distribution Facilities and Demineralization/Desalination Recycled Water Treatment and Reclamation Facility Project (Riverside County) -$2 million

Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project (Camp Pendleton) -$1 million

San Jacinto & Upper Santa Margarita Watersheds Project -$355K

San Diego County Fire Safety and Fuels Reduction Program -$45 million

Corpsmen/Medics Civilian Nursing Training Program (Oceanside) -$1.6 million

Vista Community Clinic -$1 million

North County Health Project Oceanside Clinic Expansion (Oceanside) -$1 million

Railroad Canyon I-15 interchange project -$8 million

State Route 76 (widen and realign) -$5 million

San Luis Rey Transit Center (Oceanside) -$3.1 million

West Vista Way (City of Vista, widen) -$2 million

French Valley Airport (Temecula) -$1 million

Renovation and expansion of Fallbrook Boys and Girls Club -$500K

Some pretty nice projects in there. But it begs the question: Ahem, why do all these people need "to come to the federal government for the dollars versus this being primarily a state [or local] consideration?" Rep. Issa? Bueller? Bueller?

Lemme just venture one guess. Rescue workers in New York don't vote in Temecula or Oceanside do they? Oh yeah. So only when Issa is trying to hook it up for his own self should federal money be spent on state and local projects.  Not only cruel and hateful, but selfish and duplicitous too.  He's building himself quite a nice collection of adjectives.  Full of crap isn't technically an adjective, but it also applies.
Robert Hamilton is challenging Darrell Issa this year.

Cross posted at San Diego Politico