| Virginia's governor feels that Appalachia should get more than a peanut in funding
for infrastructure, in view of the fact that America taxpayers are re-building Iraq to
the tune of billions of dollars.
Governor Mark Warner says it would be disingenuous to cut funding to the
Appalachian Regional Commission, which the Bush administration has proposed to
do.
The ARC's funding has been cut in half to $33 million, while the current funding bill
for Iraq is $87 billion. And that's just a start for the occupied country.
The federal agency supports rural communities in 13 states, including all of West
Virginia.
Warner says if the US can spend 87 billion dollars in Iraq, it should spend more
money to bring roads, water, infrastructure for economic growth in the
Appalachians.
The commission works to improve health, education and the economy in the
traditionally impoverished Appalachian region from southern New York to northern
Mississippi.
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