Every Friday, media across the state get a press release from Alaska's congressional delegation touting how much federal grant and loan-money comes to the state. This week those grants total more that $6 million.
This Fat Friday is particularly fat, owing to the $245 billion "minibus" appropriation passed Thursday by Congress, which covers funding for several federal departments, and includes another continuing resolution to keep the government going through Dec. 16.
Alaska gets about $1 billion from that one. Thanks taxpayers for giving!
U.S. Department of Agriculture: $448,366 to Alaskan Brewing LLC, of Juneau, to create biofuel from waste grain.
U.S. Department of Energy: $898,772 to Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority to reduce high energy costs for low-income multifamily housing.
U.S. Department of Energy: $717,844 to Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium to upgrade the primary sanitation utility and improve overall energy efficiency of the water treatment and distribution in Selawik.
U.S. Department of Energy: $51,165 to the Native Village of Unalakleet to perform a Feasibility Study for the retrofit of a multi-family building.
U.S. Department of Energy: $200,000 to the Sea Lion Corp. to create jobs and provide training.
U.S. Department of Energy: $285,866 to The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to reduce energy costs for buildings housing tribal program.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: $1,889,600 to Fairbanks Resource Agency to serve very low-income developmentally disabled residents of Totem Park.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: $1,889,600 to Kenai Peninsula Housing Initiatives, Inc. to serve very low-income mentally ill and developmentally disabled residents of Tyree Court.
Here are some highlights from the minibus appropriations bill:
NOAA Weather Satellites: $924 million funding of a NOAA weather satellite.
Alaska Ferries: $10 million to the Alaska Marine Highway System,
Denali Commission: $5 million to the Denali Commission.
Essential Air Service (EAS) program: $143 million for the EAS program which supports commercial air service to 44 Alaska communities.
Modernizing Flight Safety: $4.5 million to help modernize Alaska flight services.
Pacific Coastal Salmon: $65 million to conserve endangered or threatened salmon populations to maintain fish populations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California.
Assisting Alaska Farmers: Alaska and Hawaii share in $2 million from the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers which helps cover a portion of the high cost of transporting goods to the states involved.
Office on Violence Against Women: $500,000 to establish a national clearinghouse that provides training and technical assistance on issues relating to sexual assault of American Indian and Alaska Native women.