Staff Reports
It was a real doozy in Baltimore, folks! The Francis Scott Key Bridge just couldn’t handle the pressure and collapsed after a cargo ship had a run-in with it. Now, Maryland’s Department of Transportation is looking to the Biden administration to cough up a whopping $60 million to clean up the mess. And of course, who’s going to foot the bill? You guessed it, the hardworking American taxpayers.
Maryland @GovWesMoore submits first bill for Baltimore bridge cleanup https://t.co/9Jo3tBYaPQ https://t.co/9Jo3tBYaPQ
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 28, 2024
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore wasted no time in declaring a state of emergency and calling for federal aid, but surprise, surprise, the state is asking for even more moolah – a cool $60 million extra, to be exact. Talk about milking the situation for all it’s worth!
President Joe Biden, always looking to spend more of our hard-earned cash, has pledged to cover the costs of rebuilding efforts. I mean, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned spending spree with other people’s money, right? Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg chimed in, saying it’s “too soon to be certain” about how much it’ll cost and how long it’ll take. How convenient!
And let’s not forget about Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who’s already eyeing up the long-term funding. Yeah, because why stop at $60 million when you can ask for even more down the road? It’s like a never-ending gravy train of taxpayer dollars!
Oh, and get this – the Department of Transportation’s relief program says the feds will cover a whopping 90% of the damage repairs. That’s right, the federal government’s picking up almost the entire tab, leaving the poor ol’ state to foot the bill for the rest. Talk about a sweet deal for Maryland!
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. The National Transportation Board has recovered audio recordings from the crash and is working on a timeline. No formal cause of the crash yet, but word on the street is that the ship lost power before the collision. Oops, looks like someone forgot to pay the electric bill!
Despite all the wreckage, there’s a glimmer of hope – six individuals from a construction crew were tragically presumed dead, and two victims have been found in the rubble. It’s a stark reminder of the human cost of this catastrophe.
So, buckle up, folks, because it looks like the taxpayers are in for a wild ride as we foot the bill for yet another federal bailout. Just another day in the world of big government spending!
