No money to burn
Dandy Don Siegelman shows he is a champion of the people for suing to block the startup of the chemical weapons incinerator at the Anniston Army Depot. What does he want? Gas masks. Actually, he wants the $15 million dollars remaining out of $40 million which FEMA had agreed to give the state. FEMA's problem? "It's federal money--you spend it the way we say." Don's problem? "I have to find a way to get reelected." Our problem? Burning chemical munitions is dangerous, but keeping them is a couple of hundred times more dangerous. There is no doubt that the money promised should be delivered, but to continue to delay the destruction of the munitions just allows a vastly more dangerous situation to continue. It is more dangerous to wait than to go ahead. But Mr. Siegelman sees an opportunity here to trumpet himself as standing up for the little fellow against the feds and as a champion of the environment, and sees an opportunity to lay hold on some free money.

Given all the various hands grabbing at it, if that promised $15 million is ever delivered to Montgomery, it will wind up much smaller when if finally gets back up to Calhoun County.

It'll pay for some nice campaign ads, though.
posted by Terry at 10:30:00 AM