Savannah Port deepening project gets funding (Atlanta: 2014, budget, office)

[AcidSnake]

Sucks that President Obama is holding onto the purse strings super-tight on the Savannah dredging project.

But given how the Conservative Congressmen and Senators Isakson & Chambliss from Georgia have been nothing but hard-core obstructionists from the start...

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

Sucks that President Obama is holding onto the purse strings super-tight on the Savannah dredging project.

But given how the Conservative Congressmen and Senators Isakson & Chambliss from Georgia have been nothing but hard-core obstructionists from the start...

Are you kidding?

They've been fighting like tigers for this.

“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated,” Republican U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson wrote in a joint statement. “It is baffling to see this administration choose to ignore a statute passed just six weeks ago that cleared all remaining obstructions to moving forward with the project.

“This administration has promised to deliver economic development and economic opportunity to the state of Georgia. … It is now clear they would rather pay lip service to Georgians than to deliver on their promises.”

An omnibus spending bill Congress passed in January included language reclassifying the deepening of Savannah Harbor from 42 feet to 47 feet from a “planning” project to a “construction” project.

At the time, members of Georgia’s congressional delegation said the provision represented the last potential hurdle to the delivery of the first significant federal funding toward the project.

“The administration’s position … is that they will ignore the clear guidance from Congress and will instead request more funding for studies,” Chambliss and Isakson wrote. “We call on the administration to allow this project to move forward and to get out of the way of the people of Georgia. We are tired of waiting.”

[AcidSnake]

Are YOU kidding? I am talking about the overall picture, not some narrow circumstance.

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Georgia Federally elected Conservatives fought President Obama tooth & nail every step of the way. Did they really think that somehow he find it in his heart to let bygones-be-bygones on this one issue just for the heck of it?

On another note: Geez arjay57, you should seriously slow down and think about the statement you are responding to, rather than rushing in to respond guns-a-blazin' just to "score some points".

It's gonna be okay.

Originally Posted by arjay57

Are you kidding?

They've been fighting like tigers for this.

“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated,” Republican U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson wrote in a joint statement. “It is baffling to see this administration choose to ignore a statute passed just six weeks ago that cleared all remaining obstructions to moving forward with the project.

“This administration has promised to deliver economic development and economic opportunity to the state of Georgia. … It is now clear they would rather pay lip service to Georgians than to deliver on their promises.”

An omnibus spending bill Congress passed in January included language reclassifying the deepening of Savannah Harbor from 42 feet to 47 feet from a “planning” project to a “construction” project.

At the time, members of Georgia’s congressional delegation said the provision represented the last potential hurdle to the delivery of the first significant federal funding toward the project.

“The administration’s position … is that they will ignore the clear guidance from Congress and will instead request more funding for studies,” Chambliss and Isakson wrote. “We call on the administration to allow this project to move forward and to get out of the way of the people of Georgia. We are tired of waiting.”

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They've been fighting like tigers for this.

Emphasis added.

We're talking about a congressional delegation and state government who profess such a dislike of federal spending that they refuse to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid in their state, but who asks for millions in help for infrastructure projects that benefit business interests in their state. I respect the feds for giving us as much help as they are in projects like the BeltLine given our state's track record of decrying federal spending we don't like while asking for our pet projects to sail through.

[tikigod311]

Ahhh politics. Isn't it great! :VOMITING:

Hurray for the worthless political parties! The powerful are playing games and Georgia looses. Both sides are guility.

Its high time we get rid of / ignore political parties.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

On another note: Geez arjay57, you should seriously slow down and think about the statement you are responding to, rather than rushing in to respond guns-a-blazin' just to "score some points".

It's gonna be okay.

Sorry, Snake. I read your post just like arjay read it.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

It's gonna be okay.

You mean we are going to get the money?

I don't always agree with Chambliss and Isakson, but surely the President isn't playing pay-back against Georgia because they opposed him on other issues.

If the Savannah port is a valid project -- as the Vice President assured us it is -- then it ought to be funded. Whether Obama is mad at somebody shouldn't be the criterion.

[Galounger]

Man. I got super excited as soon as I read that a bill got passed to fund the Savannah Port. Right up till I read that it had only passed Congress then my heart sunk.

As dysfunctional as our Federal government is I knew right then that the Senate would find some way to shoot it out of the water! And unfortunately I was right!

This is horrible.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by arjay57

You mean we are going to get the money?

I don't always agree with Chambliss and Isakson, but surely the President isn't playing pay-back against Georgia because they opposed him on other issues.

If the Savannah port is a valid project -- as the Vice President assured us it is -- then it ought to be funded. Whether Obama is mad at somebody shouldn't be the criterion.

Obama has been courted by Gov. Nathan Deal and Mayor Kasheem Reed on this issue for a long time now. And he at one point was all aboard in favor of funding this.

But in Obama's defense you have to realize what the man has been going through. He has been under an all out assault from the right wing this term. He hasn't been able to spend 25 cent in a gum machine without the Tea Party and 50 Republicans screaming bloody murder and trying to shut down the government on him.

I mean tons of things he supported have been scrapped including much of his Health Care bill and extension of support for the long term unemployed.

Chances are even if he hadn't said he can't approve the money the Republicans in the Senate would have found a way to block it just because he was in favor of it.

The Federal Government is just about at a stand still because the Right Wing has declared war on anybody that doesn't agree with them.

Total dysfunction.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I agree. Let the free market handle it. Of course the problem is that Savannah is competing against other ports which are getting federal funding. So it puts us at a disadvantage.

Savannah is competing with other Ports all over the world for business many of those Ports are receiving government assistance whether they are in America or elsewhere.

That's what's wrong in many cases with the "free market" notion. Many of our industries, etc. have to compete without help against competition that is receiving help.