BillCosby

Wasting our money on us.. What are they thinking.....


Nov. 7 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush is likely to face the first veto override of his presidency when the Senate votes on reviving a $23 billion water-projects measure that Bush rejected as too costly.

The U.S. House voted 361 to 54 to override the veto yesterday. More than 140 Republicans joined the chamber's Democratic majority in backing legislation that promises funds for hundreds of projects nationwide, including improving the levees around New Orleans, helping restore the Florida Everglades and building locks on the Mississippi River.

The Bush administration said the legislation is stuffed with funds for pet projects known as ``earmarks'' that aren't a priority.

The vote sent the measure to the Senate, which may take it up as soon as today. Two-thirds majorities in both chambers are needed to override a veto. The Senate approved the legislation in September by an 81 to 12 vote. Bush vetoed the measure Nov. 2, saying it includes ``hundreds of earmarks'' that would only exacerbate a ``massive backlog'' of projects at the Army Corp of Engineers, the agency responsible for implementing the legislation.

``American taxpayers should not be asked to support a pork- barrel system of federal authorization and funding where a projects' merit is an afterthought,'' Bush said in his veto statement.

Lawmakers defended the legislation, saying it is needed to maintain the nation's infrastructure.

``This is a good bill that represents investment in America,'' said Representative John Mica, a Florida Republican. ``I must respectfully disagree with President Bush's veto of this important and long overdue water-resources development act. I believe it's far too important.''

Overrides Rare

Bush's move won plaudits from groups such as the Washington-based Taxpayers for Common Sense, an advocacy group that tracks earmarks.

Successful override votes are relatively rare. Since 1789, Congress has been able to overcome less than 5 percent of the more than 2,500 vetoes issued by 36 presidents.

Still, Bush so far is the first president since Lyndon Johnson not to have at least one of his vetoes rejected by Congress. Bill Clinton had two of his 37 vetoes overridden, and Ronald Reagan couldn't sustain nine of his 78 vetoes. Gerald Ford had 12 of his 66 vetoes rejected by Congress, the highest ratio in 35 years.

The water-resources legislation is the latest clash between Bush and the Democrat-controlled Congress. Bush has vetoed four bills this year, including measures to expand a children's health insurance program and to provide additional federal support for embryonic stem-cell research.

Veto Threats

He has threatened to veto scores of others, including most of the 12 annual appropriations measures needed to fund the federal government. Bush has relied on Republicans, especially in the House, to provide the votes needed to sustain his vetoes.

Almost three-quarters of the chamber's 200 Republicans abandoned him in favor of the water bill, which includes more than 800 projects in congressional districts across the country.

``It's the power of pork,'' said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. ``When it comes to being able to tout projects back to their home districts, Republicans are willing to buck the president -- and the Democrats are more than willing to go right along.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Faler in Washington at bfaler@bloomberg.net .

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

itsmeeeeeee

of course the republicans joined the veto override efforts.
it's THEIR states that are running out of water!

(and it serves them right!)

BillCosby

You better watch out if we do run out of water........ Your state, our water may be next on the democratizing list.............

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

EvilMonkey

Yep, sad that it has to smack them in their own backyard before they will take a look at it. For Bush, if it's not about spending money outside of this country then it's an automatic veto from him. The last thing on his mind is anything that has to do with providing assistance to our own country.

itsmeeeeeee

luckily, i have my own well!
(and i live in a flood plain, in a house built BELOW the water level so my sump's running almost non-stop!)

jdanton

Over my lifetime, there have frequently been floods in one area and droughts in another area.

It's often crossed my mind that some sort of nationwide pumping system for water would be an idea of merit. Pump water from where there's too much to where there's too little.


dance

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

BillCosby

You in the delta????

W/ easy water to take elsewhere you will just have to wait for democracy to come callin...........lol

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

CosmicRocker

good.! Florida has been working really hard to restore the Everglades
after the disasterous dikeing of the Kissimmee river.

This is one example where Federal aid is needed.

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Traveling Wilburys (l to r)

Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison
```````````````````````````````````````
sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
when you got to choose
every way you look at it you lose

Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkle

Heretic

Probably because water abundant states recall all too well the last few ties when water hungry states outright stole water only to waste it on gold courses, display fountains and swimming pools. Without desalination plants you don't want a nationalized water system. Else it'd be open season on every natural preserve and wildlife sanctuary's source of fresh water with no thought to the ecological outcomes. Already, there's talk of draining water normally set aside for wildlife under federal law.

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"Enough!!" -so rang Barack Obama's voice off the walls of Mile High Stadium

BillCosby

Those are seen as putting it to good use as opposed to wasting it on those that act like animals..........

Our delta here in Calif is being suXed dry & sent south.. The delta smelt (bottom of the food chain) has dropped in recent counts from several thousands to 255 in recent counts.......... No salamon & everything is in decline............

But they continue to build like there is no tommorow........

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror