John McCain and Tom Coburn appear not to know what a lighthouse is for

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Perhaps it's that Coburn/McCain think that the lighthouse doesn't need a living quarters, since most lighthouses don't require that much maintenance anymore?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Well, that's the point they should be making Cynic.  Whether or not an island is inhabited has very little to do with whether or not there are dangerous waters and shipping lanes nearby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomoy_Point_Light

Yeah that just seems like they're rebuilding it for historical value...probably not the best use of emergency economic stimulus funds.

Perhaps by uninhabited, they were referring to the lighthouse (thus making it pointless to do work on its living quarters) - not sure - just throwing ideas out there.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Well, that's the point they should be making Cynic.  Whether or not an island is inhabited has very little to do with whether or not there are dangerous waters and shipping lanes nearby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomoy_Point_Light

Yeah that just seems like they're rebuilding it for historical value...probably not the best use of emergency economic stimulus funds.

Perhaps by uninhabited, they were referring to the lighthouse (thus making it pointless to do work on its living quarters) - not sure - just throwing ideas out there.

I think you're giving them too much credit.
They just thought that the whole lighthouse project it sounded bad enough and used it as a whipping boy, without bothering about the details.

And what's your proof of that?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Well, that's the point they should be making Cynic.  Whether or not an island is inhabited has very little to do with whether or not there are dangerous waters and shipping lanes nearby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomoy_Point_Light

Yeah that just seems like they're rebuilding it for historical value...probably not the best use of emergency economic stimulus funds.

Perhaps by uninhabited, they were referring to the lighthouse (thus making it pointless to do work on its living quarters) - not sure - just throwing ideas out there.

I think you're giving them too much credit.
They just thought that the whole lighthouse project it sounded bad enough and used it as a whipping boy, without bothering about the details.

um, I HIGHLY doubt either of them conducted the research or wrote the list.  I'd be surprised if they gave it more than a quick read.

Wikipedia: "After the opening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914, most vessels bound from south of the Cape to the Boston area took the shorter and safer route through the canal, so there was much less traffic past the light and the light was deactivated in 1923."

So, if you're asuming Coburn and McCain didn't read the list, are you assuming that whoever put it in the bill to begin with also assumed that it was a working/needed lighthouse?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

All right, fair enough, it's not so ridiculous if the lighthouse is decommissioned. But really, you'd think they would mention this is the blurb.

It's in the footnote link.  They probably figured that anybody who cared enough to scrutinize the details of the list would also read the footnotes.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Um, it was probably just a mistake.  There's no logical reason to say that the island was uninhabited (almost irrelevant to the purpose of a lighthouse) but not mention that the lighthouse isn't actually being repaired to make shipping lanes safer. 

Again - the inhabitation of the island related to the light house residence (at least that's what I assumed).

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Um, it was probably just a mistake.  There's no logical reason to say that the island was uninhabited (almost irrelevant to the purpose of a lighthouse) but not mention that the lighthouse isn't actually being repaired to make shipping lanes safer.  

Again - the inhabitation of the island related to the light house residence (at least that's what I assumed).

You'd think anyone capable of determining whether this is wasteful spending would also be capable of writing "repairs of unused, inaccessible lighthouse" instead of "lighthouse repairs on an uninhabited island" when the first is what he means and shorter, too.
Well, turns out you'd be wrong.

Aren't you being a little overly critical?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I'm embrassed that they are representing me.

Did you even read any post after the initial post?