RALEIGH — North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr applauded some of the money coming from a federal stimulus program even though he opposed the massive spending bill by saying it would leave future generations burdened with debt.
Burr appeared last week with local officials in Alexander County who were receiving $2 million in federal grants to help build a new fire station, according to the Hickory Daily Record. The money came from a federal stimulus program touted by Democrats and President Barack Obama.
"This is a great thing for this county,'' Burr said, according to the newspaper. "We're not accustomed to federal dollars in that magnitude finding their way to North Carolina.''
Burr vehemently opposed the $787 billion economic stimulus legislation when it was passed in February. He said it was hastily written and threatened economic consequences for years to come.
"By spending nearly a trillion dollars on projects that expand the government but provide little to no stimulus, we are ensuring a massive debt for our grandchildren,'' Burr said at the time.
Democrats, who have been preparing a challenge to Burr's seat in 2010, seized on his recent comments, saying Burr is trying to have it both ways.
"Richard Burr could win the gold medal in hypocrisy for trying to have it both ways,'' said Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "This is somebody who, every chance he got, opposed the very funding that he went and had the photo-op about.''
Burr's office said Tuesday that he wasn't taking credit for the money.
"Sen. Burr was invited to the grant presentation by the Alexander County Commissioners and was happy to be there to recognize the community and the fire department for their work in securing this highly competitive grant,'' spokesman David Ward said.
The volunteer fire department in the Alexander County area of Bethlehem has been working out of the same fire station since 1962. The new one will be 19,000 square feet.
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