Ten ways for federal cash to come to Boulder. Boulder politicians salivate over federal money.
1. Northwest Rail, RTD FasTracks
Funding: $9.3 billion for high-speed rail corridors and inter-city passenger rail service
2. Captain Jack Superfund site
Funding: $1.2 billion for the EPA’s cleanup programs
3. Boulder’s labs
Funding: $830 million for NOAA, $580 million for NIST and $3 billion for the NSF
4. Plug-in and hybrid vehicles
Funding: $400 million in grants to states and local governments to purchase energy-efficient vehicles and infrastructure for electric vehicles
Tax breaks: $2 billion for tax credits of up to $7,500 for a new plug-in vehicle and up to $4,000 for converting a vehicle to a plug-in
5. University of Colorado
Funding: $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500 for low-income students, $40 billion for states to use for public education funding and $200 million for work-study programs
Tax breaks: $13.9 billion to expand the Hope credit to $2,400 per student per year of college up to four years
6. Xcel Energy
Funding: $11 billion to make the electric grid “smarter”
Tax breaks: $14 billion to extend tax credits for wind energy through 2012 and remove the cap on investment tax credit for small wind farms
7. Wildland fire management
Funding: $500 million for fuels reduction and forest health
8. NASA’s atmospheric research
Funding: $1 billion for climate research and researching environmentally responsible airplanes
9. Solar panels and energy efficiency
Funding: $6.3 billion in grants to local governments to increase energy efficiency, $5 billion to help low-income families weatherize their homes and $300 million in rebates to individuals who buy energy-efficient appliances
Tax breaks: $2 billion to increase tax credits for energy-efficient purchases, such as new furnaces or insulation, to 30 percent through 2010 for up to $1,500; $268 million to give a 30 percent tax credit — and remove existing caps — for installing solar thermal, geothermal and wind power
10. Alternative fuels research
Funding: $2.5 billion for energy-efficient and renewable-energy research, and $2 billion for research through the Department of Energy
Nothing better than politicians bringing home money to their constituents. Oink, oink.
Boulder elite, you cannot print your way to prosperity. Guess you’re sure gonna have a good time trying.
