Thread: 9 U.S. Mayors Requesting $10 Billion Meet with Obama

Obama Meets With Nine Mayors Who Want $10 Billion in Federal Money
Friday, January 09, 2009
By Matt Cover

President-elect Barack Obama, Jan. 8, 2009(CNSNews.com) - President-elect Barack Obama met with the mayors of nine U.S. cities Thursday who together are asking the federal government to give them over $10.7 billion to finance various public works and maintenance projects.

Among the mayors who met with Obama, Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz is asking for the most federal tax dollars, a total of $3.2 billion. His requests include $1.5 million to build the Grapeland Flowrider, a new water park attraction, and $100,000 to build dirt-bike trails.

Miami also wants $94 million in federal tax dollars for parking garages at the Orange Bowl, and $20 million for work on a city park that would include a new pool and a sports and fitness center.

The other mayors meeting with Obama who are requesting funding from federal taxpayers included: Philadelphia Mayor Mark Nutter, who wants $2.6 billion in funding; Charleston (S.C.) Mayor Joseph Riley, who wants $1.06 million; Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, who wants $925 million; Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, who wants $779 million; Louisville (Ky.) Mayor Jerry Abramson, who wants $620 million; Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer , who wants $593 million; Columbia (S.C.) Mayor Bob Coble, who wants $249 million; and Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, who wants $92 million.

Mayor Michael Coleman of Columbus, Ohio, joined the other mayors in the meeting with Obama, but his city did not include any projects, according to the list put together by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The 1,500-page report published last month itemizes the spending requests that the mayors of more than 641 cities are making to Congress and the incoming Obama administration.

In total, the mayors of all 641 cities are asking for $96.6 billion in federal funds for 15,221 municipal projects.

The projects requested by the nine mayors who met with Obama Thursday are a smorgasbord of items, ranging from large-scale bridges and roads to very small projects like purchasing recycling bins and painting schools. Washington, D.C .,was the only city to request money for a single purpose, road maintenance.

Akron is requesting $4 million to build a 300-space parking garage for the corporate headquarters of an unnamed health care-related firm. Akron would also like $5 million to build a decorative fence along a bridge.

Philadelphia wants $10 million for supermarket development and $20 million for the Philadelphia Zoo.

Trenton wants $6 million from taxpayers to help build a new YMCA facility.

Salt Lake City would like $1 million to upgrade bathrooms in two city parks.

Columbia wants $5 million to replace the light bulbs and switches in city schools and Louisville wants $1 million for a “green roofâ€

This is seriously laughable......

Perhaps the Mayors that host illegals in their "Sanctuary cities" can get the extra bucks from the illegals! It seems the illegals hold most of the jobs in their cities!