February 5, 2009

From the U.S. Conference of Mayors wish list of all the things mayors across the country want the federal government to fund in the name of “stimulus” comes my own selection of some of the dodgier requests from North Texas cities. It starts on page 293, and my short list here is just a taste of the absurdity.

Frisco wants $125,000 for an armored vehicle and $200,000 for a mobile command vehicle. You know, for all that gang tank warfare going on up in Frisco.

McKinney wants $5 million for SWAT toys and stuff.

North Richland Hills wants $51,000 for volunteer patrol volunteers. Let’s throw in $10 for a dictionary so they can look up the word “volunteer.”

Irving wants $5 million for biometric scanners, digital cameras, RFID scanners — nothing Big Brother there.

Grand Prairie wants $1.25 million for nicer landscaping around the public safety building.

And finally, Arlington is really gearing up for urban warfare. Arlington wants $1.6 million for SWAT toys including more equipment for those deadly but camera-friendly no-knock raids, $56,000 for military grade carbines, $625,000 for unmanned aerial surveillance drones, and $130,000 for “covert ops.”

That’s just the choicer stuff. Take a read. And let me know what’s economically stimulating about any of this.

UPDATE: Per reader Bear, here’s a link to the mayors’ tin cup list that’s more interactive, if you don’t like PDFs.