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News

Federal budget helps Macomb

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Friday, February 27, 2009 7:25 AM EST

By Chad Selweski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

The massive spending bill approved by the U.S. House this week = includes $1.4=20 million in funding for Macomb County law enforcement to consolidate some = dispatch services and build a command center that would be activated = during=20 emergencies, such as a tornado or flood.

The money is part of a = $410=20 billion spending bill stuffed with earmarks that was passed in the House = and is=20 expected to win final approval in the Senate next week. Macomb County's = two=20 lawmakers, Sander Levin and Candice Miller, secured a combined $3.8 = million in=20 special projects for the county.

Levin, a Royal Oak Democrat, and = Miller,=20 a Harrison Township Republican, joined together to insert three = allocations into=20 the bill to benefit Lake St. Clair, Macomb Community College and Macomb = County's=20 new business "incubator."

Miller also arranged funding for = dredging of=20 the lake and Clinton River.

Most of the appropriations were secured by Levin, including $500,000 = for a=20 Macomb County Emergency Operations Center and $900,000 for a = consolidation of=20 emergency dispatch services in Roseville, St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe = and=20 Harper Woods.

The emergency command center is envisioned as a=20 1,500-square-foot facility within an old county warehouse,=20 located

adjacent to the Macomb County Jail in Mount = Clemens.

The=20 center would be manned by personnel from the sheriff's department, = police=20 departments, fire departments, EMS, hospitals and county department = heads in=20 times of disaster, such as a blizzard, tornado, flood, blackout or = terrorist=20 attack.

"We want a stand-alone facility that's ready to go, = equipped with=20 phones, computers, televisions, (police) radios and a generator," said = Vicki=20 Wolber, county emergency management coordinator. "From there, we would=20 coordinate and direct the response to a disaster."

Wolber said = the full=20 price tag on the center is estimated at up to $850,000, with the = remainder of=20 the money possibly coming in the 2010 federal budget or from Department = of=20 Homeland Security grants.

Several southeast Michigan counties, = plus the=20 city of Detroit, already have such emergency centers.

The = $900,000 for=20 dispatch consolidation revives an idea that was raised by a 2007 study. = But the=20 concept of creating a single, south Macomb dispatch center is far from=20 complete.

It's unclear whether officials in Harper Woods, which = is=20 located in Wayne County, are still willing to play a part. In addition, = Clinton=20 Township participated in the '07 study but later indicated little = interest in=20 following through, except for its fire department.

Roseville Fire = Chief=20 Ben Foronato said the consolidation of seven dispatch centers may not = succeed=20 unless fire departments and police departments are separated, due to = differing=20 protocols and technology.

Though more study is needed, the = project could=20 involve reconfiguration of the dispatch center in Roseville, the = purchase of=20 additional dispatch radios, improvements to the 911 phone system, and=20 installation of additional computer terminals

"If these (four)=20 communities are still interested, this would give us a big shot in the = arm to=20 pay for all the infrastructure," Foronato said.

The congressional = bill,=20 which provides funds for the current fiscal year, is unrelated to the = proposed=20 2010 budget unveiled Thursday by President Obama. The $410 billion = spending bill=20 won House approval on a 245-178 vote, largely along party = lines.

Miller=20 was one of just 16 Republicans who supported the measure.

Among = the other=20 earmarks in the bill for Macomb County:

$385,000 for the county's = upcoming business "incubator," located in Sterling Heights, which will = aid=20 high-tech, start-up companies as they seek to become established. The = federal=20 funds will help pay for renovations to the building, including possible=20 construction of a laboratory and testing facilities.

$459,000 to = finish=20 dredging the lower portion of the Clinton River, from I-94 to Lake St. = Clair,=20 and $145,000 to dredge a portion of the Lake St. Clair shipping=20 channel.

$167,000 to allow Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Warren = to launch=20 a "Diabetes Care and Support" program.

$191,000 to the Army Corps = of=20 Engineers to improve water quality in Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair = River.=20 The Corps will use the money to write an "Implementation Plan," a = project=20 approved by Congress in 1999 to help combat =E2=80=94 and keep accurate = records of =E2=80=94=20 pollution in the waters.

$142,500 to renovate and reopen the = Fitzgerald=20 Recreation Center in south Warren. The building would be operated as a = senior=20 center and community building, with youth and adult programs offered = when the=20 seniors are not using the facility.

$119,000 to help the Warren = library=20 system purchase books, audio-visual materials and computer software, = with a=20 special emphasis on improving children's literacy.

In a symbolic = bow to=20 the recession, House Democrats included in the spending measure a = prohibition on=20 a cost-of-living pay increase for members of Congress for the=20 year.

Overall, the legislation would provide budget increases of = roughly=20 8 percent for 12 Cabinet departments and federal agencies it covered, = about $32=20 billion more than last year.

The bill is intended to allow smooth = functioning of the government through the Sept. 30 end of this fiscal=20 year.

After persuading lawmakers to keep earmarks off the = economic=20 stimulus bill, Obama made no such attempt on the first non-emergency = spending=20 measure of his presidency. The result was that lawmakers claimed = billions in=20 federal funds for pet projects =E2=80=94 a total of 8,570 earmarks at a = cost of $7.7=20 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. Majority Democrats = declined to=20 provide a number of earmarks, but insisted the cost was far smaller, = $3.8=20 billion, 5 percent less than a year ago.

Miller said she offers = no=20 apologies for providing earmarks that will benefit her = district.

"I think=20 the abuse of earmarks has given earmarks a very bad name," the = congresswoman=20 said. "They have to pass the smell test. And any person who requests one = should=20 have no difficulty standing up and defending it."

The Associated = Press=20 contributed to this report.

Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no = way do=20 they represent the view of macombdaily.com.

john wrote on Feb 27, 2009 7:48 AM:

" i wonder what happened to the command = center in=20 the basement of the county jail that was put together in the 1980's we = didn't=20 use it that much to wear it out? "

Report Abuse

One Who Knows wrote on Feb 27, 2009 8:38 AM:

" It doesn't exist anymore. The area = you speak of=20 was just rooms that are being utilized for other offices which are in = constant=20 usage. There was nothing beyond a place to congregate, with the radio = equipment=20 which was brought to the room for the temporary purpose. "

Report Abuse

TJ wrote on Feb 27, 2009 9:16 AM:

" To fund this we have a $1.75 trillion = deficit=20 this year, thats' $23,300 per family above what you already pay. If our = backs=20 weren't already broken this should do the trick. "

Report Abuse

Duh wrote on Feb 27, 2009 9:21 AM:

" Is this part of the stimulus bill = that was=20 signed last week? If it is I don't see where it is going to stimulate = the=20 economy for any period of time. It sounds like it is going to build a = command=20 center but who is going to fund the upkeep of this center in the future? = This=20 article states that the remainder of the monies may come in the 2010 = budget,=20 what if it doesn't? The sheriff's dept is always being threatened with = cut backs=20 because of county deficits, I'm not necessarily against this project but = I want=20 to know where the funds will come from if the feds can't provide it in = 2010.=20 "

Report Abuse

Quell the Revolution wrote on = Feb 27, 2009 10:01 AM:

" The new emergency command center will = be used=20 to coordinate the law enforcement teams when the taxpaying, producing = peasants=20 (er, residents), finally get tired of being controlled by the = government.=20 "

Report Abuse

Nope wrote on Feb 27, 2009 10:06 AM:

" This is separate funding, brought to = congress=20 last fall. Bush said he would veto, so it was just held on to for Obama = to sign.=20 Just add it to the tab. "

Report Abuse

FEMA AGENT wrote on Feb 27, 2009 10:19 AM:

" We need this facility to house = agitators when=20 the food riots hit later this year. We realize there is only so long we = can=20 paper over the bankruptcy of the USA and have made contingency plans = well in=20 advance. Just go where the government tells you to go in case of = emergency and=20 all will be fine. Your bunk and work detail has already been = prearranged. Please=20 dispose of pets before arrival by any means necessary. Remember, the = government=20 loves you and has nothing but your best interests at heart. "

Report Abuse

Dose of reality wrote on Feb 27, 2009 11:16 AM:

" This is ongoing funding of government = operations, not new spending. It is slightly higher than what Bush = requested but=20 still is regular funding. The stimulus was all new deficit spending, = this is=20 ongoing government operations. Levin and Miller did a good job it looks = like=20 fighting for the county. The community college program and business = incubator=20 are necessary to stay competitive in the future. Good job. "

Report Abuse

Taxpayer wrote on Feb 27, 2009 11:56 AM:

" It's interesting reading comments = from=20 government employees who have time on their hands to write to this blog? = I will=20 say I am glad to get a return of our tax dollars back from Washington. I = think=20 they still owe us... "

Report Abuse

Duh wrote on Feb 27, 2009 12:16 PM:

" Do I have this start. I am getting a = return of=20 my money when I pay my taxes and they give the state money for county = projects=20 and then they raise my taxes to repay the money they gave the county = toward=20 those county projects. How come I have less money in my paycheck and not = more?=20 "

Report Abuse

Duh wrote on Feb 27, 2009 12:17 PM:

" I meant do I have this right. That's = what I get=20 for not proof-reading my question. "

Report Abuse

TO ALL wrote on Feb 27, 2009 12:33 PM:

" nothing is never good for you, bi--c = bi--ch=20 bi--ch thats all I hear, I would like to know when can finally something = can be=20 done without anyone bi---ing about it.
Tnank you "

Report Abuse

Duh wrote on Feb 27, 2009 12:39 PM:

" You really need to proof-read your = statements.=20 I didn't realize that questioning things for answers or stating facts = was to use=20 a nicer word instead of b I will use complaining. Or am I complaining = because=20 I'm an stating a fact that I didn't realize I was complaining when = asking if I'm=20 getting a return how come I don't have extra money in my paycheck? I = just don't=20 want future generations to have to pay for our mistakes, no matter who = makes=20 them. "

Report Abuse

Deep Throat wrote on Feb 27, 2009 4:02 PM:

" The Obama budget may help Macomb = County this=20 year but it also financially rapes our grandchildren and future unborn=20 generations who will be stuck with the tab for our selfishness. = "

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