During my 30 years in politics I have seen incredibly generous city, county, state, and federal grants go to a multiplicity of Ethnicity, on repeated occasions. 

I was as Shocked as I was Elated to see the Italian American Community win one! An example of what can be done when the Community decides what must be done, and exerts their political muscle to do it !!!!!

(Washington, DC) - March 4, 2009 - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today announced that numerous projects in Queens and Long Island have been included in a key Congressional spending bill. Ackerman requested funding for these programs in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, a collection of several pieces of legislation that funds everything from energy, health and the arts to science, justice and education programs.

The House is set to approve the legislation this Wednesday with passage in the Senate expected next week. President Obama is expected to sign the measure into law shortly thereafter.

The projects include the $475,000: Italian American Museum – Expansion and Renovation. This extensive renovation includes three adjacent historic buildings the museum recently acquired that will serve as the facility’s new home in Little Italy. These include restoring the street-level facades of its three buildings; renovating the interiors of the buildings and increasing usable space by constructing a two-story, 10,000 square foot expansion atop the three buildings.

As part of a $30 million project, the federal resources would help create a first-class exhibition space that would be of tremendous cultural and educational significance to both Americans of Italian heritage and all other Americans. As the only national Italian-American museum, the facility would also serve as an economic engine for the development for the surrounding neighborhood.
 

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