Henrico's Congressman is my good buddy, Eric Cantor, who of course is one of the princes of the "I'm gonna stamp my feet and pretend I'm not taking federal money!!!!" movements. But he seems to be somewhat aware that people need jobs, as he hosted a jobs fair a few months ago:
The Richmond-area unemployment rate is inching upward, slightly, to 7.6 percent, and the region’s public employment center in Henrico is preparing for millions less in federal stimulus aid.The money for the monument is going to be raised privately, so obviously they can do what they want with it. But with unemployment on the rise and knowing the federal flow of $$$ will be less, perhaps if people are lucky and willing enough to raise $1.5M, it can be better spent in finding a way to create jobs (remember - private citizens create jobs, not the evil gub'ment.)
“Government spending money doesn’t create jobs. This jobs fair is trying to match up people looking for employment to be hired,” Cantor said.
In the scheme of things, it's not a ton of dough. And maybe if it was for something other than a monument it wouldn't be raised at all. But while I suppose you'd have to agree the intention is a nice and honorable one, using the money for yet another way to fetishize the events of 9/11 and it's ensuing war et al is an incredible waste of money and opportunity. As usual, there's a big difference between doing actual things that are useful to people in real ways, and wondering why good things aren't happening just because you're waving the flag around harder than anybody else.
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