Citizens Against Government Waste

Citizens Against Government Waste: "$50,000,000 added in conference for an indoor rainforest project in Coralville, Iowa by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). The project, which originally was included in the Energy Policy Act of 2003 bill that failed to pass in December, 2003, became so indispensable that Sen. Grassley added it to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill in late January 2004. When completed, Iowa will have the world�s largest enclosed rainforest, spanning five acres. A local businessman, Ted Townsend (heir to the Townsend meat-packing fortune), came up with this idea while contemplating his legacy on a treadmill. Since then, Townsend has worked to see that taxpayers will pay dearly for his dream to be realized. The project, which is estimated to cost $225 million, includes a generous $5 million from Townsend. This tropical boondoggle has some big name supporters, such as former Iowa Governor Bob Ray (R), who is the chairman of the institute Townsend founded to oversee the production of the rainforest. Ray imagines that it will solve the state's demographic problems by drawing more people to move to Iowa. Ray also believes that mass quantities of retiring baby boomers will crisscross the country to visit the indoor rainforest. Senator Grassley claims that it will somehow help the University of Iowa. Ultimately, this project will do nothing for Iowa's population, energy industry, or the environment, but it will soak the taxpayers. "

That is just dumb