It is not pretty news. However, about five times a day, sewage spills into San Francisco Bay. It fouls the waters and endangers fish, wildlife, and human health. These sewage spills are the result of old pipes and outdated treatment plants, unable to keep up with the area's growth. Local governments, including some of the region's wealthiest areas, have been unable to pay for needed upgrades and repairs. The result has been regular pollution of one of the world's most scenic areas.At last, there is some good news to share about this situation. The recently passed stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1), includes funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade municipal sewage treatment plants. And while the funding is not sufficient to make all of the needed repairs, this is a big step in the right direction to provide funding that will protect water quality, human health, and fish and wildlife populations. This funding will also provide good jobs in construction and other trades that will help people in the region.I strongly supported the stimulus bill, believing that is offers the best way to jumpstart our economy and start rebuilding our infrastructure for American communities.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer United States Senator
Since I often email her, I get her newsletters.
So, if I follow her logic a rich community like San Francisco cannot pay for local projects we'll get the money from a poorer community. Let's get to restricting federal money to federal projects and local money to local projects. That way everybody gets to make rational economic judgements on what they can afford and not on what they can take from someone else's pocket. What an old fashioned, unprogressive idea.
Also, what is San Francisco paying for that some other community thinks it can't afford. Senator Boxer would have you believe that it's a one way street.
Shame on us for being fooled.
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