Executive
Waste of the Day: Boatloads of Cash Will Flow to Marinas
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission will shell out $18 million of taxpayers’ money to upgrade marinas to receive bigger boats (yachts!).
Topline: Officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may have watched one too many Steven Spielberg movies. They’ve determined that waterfront areas around the country are all going to need accommodate bigger boats, and they’re doling out $18 million of taxpayer money to make it happen.
Accommodating bigger boats at taxpayer expense
Key facts: State recreation agencies can now apply for funds to help parks build “boating infrastructure facilities” for “vessels at least 26 feet long that are operated … primarily for pleasure,” according to two new grant notices.
A 26-foot boat is classified as a yacht by the National Marine Manufacturing Association.
Six states have already received the maximum award of $1.5 million so far this year, with three more receiving just a few hundred dollars less than that.
States are required to match at least 25% of the funds. Funds can also be used to create educational materials about boating.
The Boating Infrastructure Grant program began in 1998. Since being reauthorized by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in late 2021, it has spent $121 million in combined federal and state funds.
The program’s webpage boasts that it serves vital functions like “promoting awareness” of boats and “strengthening local community ties” between boaters and manufacturers.
There are 11 million recreational boats in the U.S., of which 596,000 are at least 26 feet long, according to the grant notice.
The grants are funded through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is made up of taxes on boats and fishing equipment and import duties. It’s worth an average of $713 million annually.
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Summary
Summary: A 26-foot vessel is indeed impressive, but it still probably couldn’t fit all the cash the government is spending on sailing the seas.
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This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.
Adam Andrzejewski (say: Angie-eff-ski) was the CEO/founder of OpenTheBooks.com. Before dedicating his life to public service, Adam co-founded HomePages Directories, a $20 million publishing company (1997-2007). His works have been featured on the BBC, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, C-SPAN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, FOX News, CNN, National Public Radio (NPR), Forbes, Newsweek, and many other national media.
Today, OpenTheBooks.com is the largest private repository of U.S. public-sector spending. Mission: post "every dime, online, in real time." In 2022, OpenTheBooks.com captured nearly all public expenditures in the country, including nearly all disclosed federal government spending; 50 of 50 state checkbooks; and 25 million public employee salary and pension records from 50,000 public bodies across America.
The group's aggressive transparency and forensic auditing of government spending has led to the assembly of grand juries, indictments, and successful prosecutions; congressional briefings, hearings, and subpoenas; Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits; Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports; federal legislation; and much more.
Our Honorary Chairman - In Memoriam is U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, MD.
Andrzejewski's federal oversight work was included in the President's Budget To Congress FY2021. The budget cited his organization by name, bullet-pointed their findings, and footnoted/hyperlinked to their report.
Posted on YouTube, Andrzejewski's presentation, The Depth of the Swamp, at the Hillsdale College National Leadership Seminar 2020 in Naples, Florida received 3.8 million views.
Andrzejewski has spoken at the Columbia School of Journalism, Harvard Law School and the law schools at Georgetown and George Washington regarding big data journalism. As a senior policy contributor at Forbes, Adam had nearly 20 million pageviews on 206 published investigations. In 2022, investigative fact-finding on Dr. Fauci's finances led to his cancellation at Forbes.
In 2022, Andrzejewski did 473 live television and radio interviews across broadcast, major cable platforms, and radio shows. Andrzejewski is the author of The Waste of the Day column at Real Clear Policy. The column is syndicated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, owners of nearly 200 ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX affiliates across USA.
Andrzejewski passed away in his sleep at his home in in Hinsdale, Illinois, on August 18, 2024. He is survived by his wife Kerry and three daughters. He also served as a lector at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church and finished the Chicago Marathon eight times (PR 3:58.49 in 2022).
Waste of the Day articles published after August 18, 2024 are considered posthumous publications.
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