Thursday, August 04, 2005

Faith Based Monkey Business

From Merriam Webster OnLine:
the·oc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: thE-'ä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Greek theokratia, from the- + -kratia -cracy
1 : government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided
2 : a state governed by a theocracy

From Tom Holden of my local Virginian Pilot:

Tucked in the $286 billion transportation spending bill passed by Congress last week is a surprising line item: $10.8 million toward construction of a new local interchange along Interstate 64.

The interchange...is envisioned as a gateway to a planned development of houses, stores and offices that Christian Broadcasting Network’s chief development consultant said could top $300 million in value.

According to Holden, the interchange is not in Hampton Roads' long-range transportation plan, or in the Virginia Department of Transportation's six-year plan.

The faith based pork made it in to the transportation bill thanks largely to Virginia Representatives Thelma Drake and J. Randy Forbes, and Senators George Allen and John Warner; all of whom are (Shock! Awe!) Republicans.

Pat Robertson, Big Daddy of the Christian Broadcasting Network, has contributed $16,000 since 2002 to the campaigns of Forbes, Allen, and Warner. Not a bad investment for an $11 million dollar federal handout that will lead to a $300 million real estate development.

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The good news is that Armageddon can't be around the corner. We're a long way from having the meek own the Congress, much less inherit the earth.

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