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Elizabethtown, Pa. - Earlier this year, Congress passed a $787 billion stimulus bill that was supposed to jump start the economy and put Americans back to work.
As the stimulus projects are being revealed, some suggest there's too much wasteful spending. A federal lawmaker put out a report Tuesday that discloses what he believes to be one-hundred of the worst examples of waste in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. One midstate stimulus project made the list and it's in Lancaster County.
The century-old Elizabethtown train station is starting to show its age. It's been closed for the past 30 years and is about to get some new life.
"Going to open it up, you'll be able to buy tickets there, use the rest rooms," said James Keiter, of Palmyra.
The station and train platforms are in store for major renovations, thanks to more than $9 million in federal stimulus money. The upgrades may better serve passengers, but is it taxpayers who are being taken for a ride?
"Nine million I would think would be a lot," said Leslye Huebsch of Hershey. "It's a small town so I wouldn't think you'd need anything major. It's not a big stop I wouldn't think."
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma, highlights 100 projects out of thousands that he said, "are not poised to stimulate the economy, create lasting jobs, serve taxpayers in the long term, or use taxpayer money in an appropriate way."
Coburn ranks what he believes are the top ten most questionable projects across the country. The Elizabethtown train station came in at number eight.
"I think he's missed the target a little bit here," said Representative Mike Sturla, (D) Lancaster County.
Sturla believes the project is not pork barrel spending; he says it's nothing like the infamous bridge to nowhere in Alaska.
"It's going to create jobs, it's been something that's been on people's list to do for a long time and it's in a rail corridor that's seen increasing numbers every year in terms of passenger ridership," Sturla said.
One can't help but wonder about the project price tag. Could they build a new station cheaper? Senator Coburn would probably say yes, but he may not know the area.
"Short of tearing everything down and making everything look like someplace in oklahoma, I think we'll stick with our historic train stations here in lancaster county," said Sturla.
Governor Rendell previously announced that Lancaster County has 163 structurally deficient bridges, yet there are only six stimulus-funded bridge repair projects planned there, according to www.recoverypa.gov.
if you're wondering about other projects besides the train station that are coming under fire-- the Florida Department of Transportation is planning to spend more than three million dollars on a "turtle tunnel" so the wildlife can safely cross under a busy highway.
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