The Sun Herald touts the Senate approved 28.9 billion in Katrina relief including the 700 million to move the CSX railroad. Cochran and U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said money in the bill would relocate the CSX rail line, replace the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, cover uninsured hurricane-related losses at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and replace damaged voting machines

Other Mississippi money in the bill passed Thursday by the Senate:

• Department of Commerce: $10 million for mapping Mississippi fishing grounds in order to begin underwater debris removal; $15 million to the National Marine Fisheries Service to provide technical assistance to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama for oyster bed and shrimp ground rehabilitation; and $20 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Science Center in Pascagoula to complete repair and reconstruction.

• Department of Defense: $44.7 million for Seabees; $103.5 million to Keesler Air Force Base for planning and design of construction projects; and $5.8 million to the Mississippi Air National Guard in Meridian and Gulfport.

• NASA: $35 million for the Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center for costs associated with Hurricane Katrina.

• Department of Health and Human Services: $6 million for an emergency communications network for Mississippi community health centers, and $20 million for mosquito abatement through the Centers for Disease Control.

• Department of Homeland Security: $103.9 million for the Coast Guard's shipbuilding program on the Gulf Coast.

• Department of Labor: $27 million for the reconstruction of the Gulfport Job Corps center.

• National Park Service: $83 million for historic preservation, of which Mississippi should receive $37.5 million.

• Department of Transportation: At least $10 million to the Coast Transit Authority for emergency response and recovery of public transportation equipment, facilities and services.

While getting the veterans back home by rebuilding the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport is a worthy goal, I can only shake my head at the cooperate welfare involved in covering uninsured hurricane related losses at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. I only wonder why their uninsured losses are worthy of government help when so many small business owners are still struggling due to their uninsured losses.

Good news for those who want pork trimmed, Boehner said, "The House will not take up an emergency supplemental spending bill for Katrina and the war in Iraq that spends one dollar more than what the president asks for. Period." But according to the MS Press “For the sake of the people of the Mississippi Coast, if the House wants a fight, then we hope the Senate is ready to rumble”. Sorry MS PRESS but 700 million to relocate the CSX in no way benefits the average Gulf Coast citizen. In another article the Press tells how major rebuilding projects in Ocean Springs could be put on hold for at least the next 18 months, and the city will need congressional help to speed up the process. But the needs of Ocean Springs and the majority of Jackson County are being ignored in order to pander to the casinos in Harrison County by removing the unsightly CSX railroad from their proximity.

Apparently Senator Lott is ignoring all the citizens of Mississippi who are opposed to 700 million being spent to relocate the CSX railroad. “Lott credited the senators who supported these projects with taking the time to look at Mississippi's continued needs in the aftermath of Katrina and casting thoughtful votes despite the efforts of outside groups "to deny our state funding that only the federal government can provide”.