• INCLUDES a $1 billion earmark for the “FutureGen” near zero emission sci-fi plant in Matoon, Illinois that is a pet project of Senator Durbin and disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich. The Washington Post has called the project “prohibitively expense” and scientists at MIT oppose the project. See February 13, 2009 Washington Post story “Despite Pledges, Package Has Some Pork”

• INCLUDES House language that funds a back-door effort to socialize medicine and set up UK-style health care rationing in the United States. The $1.1 billion in the bill for “comparative effectiveness research” will help establish a government board that will make life and death medical decisions about health care cost and treatments. (Page 52 of House Conference Report)

• SCALES BACK Coburn amendment 309 (accepted by the Senate 73-24) that prohibited stimulus money to be spent on casinos, zoos, golf courses, swimming pools, parks, museums, theaters, or highways beautification projects. The final bill RETAINS language excluding funding for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool. The final bill NOW ALLOWS funds to go to a museum, stadium, arts center, theater, park, or highway beautification project. This opens the back door to fund the notorious Mob Museum in Las Vegas, which would otherwise had not be able to receive stimulus money. (SEC. 1604)

• GUTS Coburn amendment 176 (accepted by the Senate 97-0) that required all contracts, grants and cooperative agreements awarded under this Act to be competitively bid. The final bill merely says contracts should be awarded with competitive procedures "to the maximum extent possible." This will allow lawmakers to simply “phonemark” billions in spending to pet projects with zero transparency and accountability. (SEC. 1554-1555)

The “good” news. The final bill:

• RETAINS Coburn amendment 109 striking the $246 million earmark for Hollywood movie producers.

Wasteful and Non-Stimulative Spending in the House-Senate Conference Report (Note: Many of these items are typically debated and funded through the regular budget process. Including these items in an emergency “stimulus” spending bill plays an Enron-style shell game with taxpayer dollars. We’re borrowing from the next generation to avoid tough budget choices today.)
• $8 billion for high-speed railway (including an earmark for an Los Angeles to Las Vegas MagLev)
• $1 billion for the “FutureGen” not-ready-for-primetime near zero emission plant in Illinois
• $53.6 billion for the “state stabilization” slush fund
• $1.3 billion for Amtrak
• $24 million for USDA buildings and rent
• $176 million for renovating Agricultural Research Service buildings
• $290 million for flood prevention activities
• $50 million for watershed rehabilitation
• $1.4 billion for wastewater disposal programs
• $295 million for administrative expenses associated with food stamp program
• $1 billion for the 2010 Census
• $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges and libraries
• $650 million for the DTV converter box coupon program
• $360 million for construction of NIST buildings
• $830 million for NOAA research and facilities
• $2 billion for Byrne JAG program
• $10 million to combat Mexican gunrunners
• $125 million for rural communities to combat drug crimes
• $1 billion for the COPS program
• $1 billion for NASA
• $300 million to purchase scientific instruments for colleges and museums
• $400 million for equipment and facilities at the NSF
• $3.7 billion to conduct "green" renovations on military bases
• $375 million for Mississippi River projects
• $10 million for urban canals
• $5 billion for weatherizing buildings
• $2 billion to develop advanced batteries for hybrid cars
• $3.4 billion for fossil energy research (possibly including an earmark for FutureGen)
• $5.1 billion for environmental cleanup around military bases
• $5.5 billion for "green" federal buildings
• $300 million for "green" cars for federal employees
• $20 million for IT upgrades at the Small Business Administration
• $200 million to design and furnish DHS headquarters
• $210 million for State and local fire stations
• $125 million to restore trails and abandoned mines
• $146 million for trail maintenance at National Park Service sites
• $140 million for volcano monitoring systems
• $600 million for the EPA Superfund environmental cleanup program
• $200 million to clean up leaking underground storage tanks
• $500 million for forest health and wildfire prevention
• $25 million for the Smithsonian Institution
• $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
• $1.2 billion for "youth activities" (for "youth" up to 24 years old)
• $500 million earmark for NIH facilities in Bethesda, MD
• $1 billion for Head Start
• $32 million for home-delivered nutrition services
• $160 million for volunteer programs at the Corporation for National and Community Service
• $500 million earmark for the SSA National Computer Center in MD
• $220 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. and Mexico