"The Olympics, at least, had a good year in Congress" as
ACOG and GA's congressional delegation members lobbied
succesfuuly for over $40M in appropriations to federal agencies
for Olympic-related projects. ACOG Communications Dir Scott Mall
called 1994 a "critical" year to secure the advance allocations.
Approved projects: $15.8M to the Dept. of Transportation to
"showcase" 2,000 new buses at the Games; $14.4M to the Defense
Dept. for military security efforts, including high-tech
surveillance and Olympic Village protection; $4.1M for the
Forest Service to finish TN's Cherokee National Forest whitewater
venue; $500,000 to plant trees in Atlanta for a fourth year,
through the Agriculture Dept; $2.8M for U.S. Park Service to
finish improvements to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National
Historical Site in time for the Games; almost $2.5M to Savannah,
GA which will host the Olympic yachting events. Congress also
supported an information equipment grant to "urge" the Commerce
Dept. to use U.S. telecommunications at the Games. Legislation
was passed to lift customs duties on necessary equipment imported
for the Games and to limit the number of commemorative coins
issued in '95 to one for the Paralympics, "clearing the field"
for Olympic coins(Mike Christensen, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/15).
