We want the pork

Towns in America are flooding the with requests for projects to be included in the economic stimulus package being assembled by President-Elect Obama and Congress.

USA News reports on how the town of Edwardsville, Alabama has put forward proposals for $375 million of spending. Edwardsville has a of 194m so that is around $2 million per resident.

Their proposed projects include:

  • a renewable energy museum (cost: $32.1 million)
  • scenic railroad (cost: $37.0 million)
  • vineyards (cost: $9.0 million)
  • replace streetlights with solar-powered lights (cost: $3,479,200),
  • build solar-powered recharging stations for electric golf carts and vehicles (cost: $620,000)
  • installing pipelines beneath to soak up the sun's rays, transferring heat (cost $50.4 million) that will halve the amont of energy required

So far the towns have a combined wishlist of $96.6 billion!