GIS consultancy stimulus proposal

US $1,200,000,000 is a lot of GeoPork. While I think the proposed data sets are pragmatic enough (maybe substitute climate/environmental data for wildlife data), I can't get behind any proposal for this level of public funding that doesn't explicitly put open data in the public's hands ("publicly-accessible" is far too vague). And I shudder to think of $450,000,000 spent to line SOA's casket.

Via APB.

Update (2009-01-13): "shudder to think" is a rather lame cliche that I regret using. Apologies, my dear readers. I really feel more like Captain Blackadder reading orders from General Melchett – which means intense, visceral shuddering, waves of violent fear and loathing, and a hyperbolic analogy invoking unfair stereotypes of the French.