Susan Collins Update

One thing I like about being on Susan Collin's email update list is that I actually get updates. Mike and Olympia send something once every two months, Susan sends something it seems at least monthly or every two weeks and makes it relevant and has details. Today having a lot of news without the world actually changing gives me the opportunity to update you of how I view the day to day operations of Susan Collins lately.

I want to first thank Susan for recognizing Hasan's actions in the Fort Hood shooting as a terrorist attack. It shows some common sense on her part still exists.

Mostly she is doing a good job, some things I did take notice of. Such as:

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, today announced that the Senate has approved the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations spending bill which includes her request for nearly $50 million in military construction funding for Maine projects.

-28 million for a new Aircraft Hangar at the Bangor Air National Guard base.
-$7.1 million for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery to be used for security improvements at Gate #2.
-$2 million for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery to be used for the planning and design funding for the Consolidation of Structural Shops.
-$12.9 million for the Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) at Brunswick Naval Air Station.

The legislation also includes $53.2 billion in Department of Veterans Affairs discretionary funding, including $50 million for a new Rural Clinic Initiative for additional to provide for additional Community Based Outreach Clinic's in rural and highly rural areas, such as Maine.

Excerpt from a press release over. How about we put 50 million to making absolutely certain our border guards have memorized the terror watch list? I am not aware of nor concerned about terror plots against Maine. 9/11 proved our open border with Canada and lax security at our airports, not only in big cities but Bangor International as well, enabled several of the terrorists to conduct their attacks that day. I do not believe we need to improve our physical security and base capabilities in Maine, only the ability of those protecting us.

Sources (Bibliography) :
"SENATOR COLLINS SECURES MORE THAN $50 MILLION FOR MAINE IN SENATE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS BILL"
http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=092d0551-802a-23ad-4f8d-df4eb26dfaf0&Region_id=&Issue_id=&CFID=20904891&CFTOKEN=46174388

This is an interesting proposal:
"SENATOR COLLINS TO INTRODUCE BILL TO SUPPORT DEEPWATER, OFFSHORE WIND POWER RESEARCH"
http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=092e9c6c-802a-23ad-409d-b62eabb6decc&Region_id=&Issue_id=&CFID=20811960&CFTOKEN=67643797