Sen. Tom Coburn is in big trouble now.
The Oklahoma Republican put a hold on a bill providing $20 million a year for the 9/11 memorial and museum at Ground Zero — irking Chuck Schumer (that’s “sacred ground”) and his mini-me, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (that’s “my 9/11 museum”).
So what’s up?
“If providing federal funding for this effort is a critical national priority, the sponsors should pay for this effort by reducing spending on lower-priority programs,” said a Coburn spokesman.
The senator has a point. Several, in fact:
* First, the cavernous underground museum still hasn’t opened, more than a decade after the Islamist assault on America — and it won’t be until 2013 at the absolute earliest.
* And if it ever does open, its cost will be well north of a half-billion dollars — based on now seriously outdated projections, by the way — with an estimated minimum annual operating budget in excess of $60 million. No wonder a $25-a-head admission fee has already been announced.
* So it comes as no surprise to learn that museum executives are themselves riding the gravy train — with salaries bumping up close to $400,000 and lush golden parachutes apparently the norm.
* Meanwhile, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. honchos are hoarding $155 million for such nonsensical undertakings as yet another “performing-arts” venue for Manhattan and a host of other undertakings that are too top-secret for the public even to be told of them in any detail.
And none of this is meant to be discussed because of the “sacred” nature of the site.
Nonsense.
Coburn is quite right to cast a gimlet eye on these shenanigans — and it’s safe to bet he’s not the only one doing so.
The 9/11 attacks were a declaration of war on the United States of America — and thus the entire nation has a stake in properly memorializing the events of that day.
But that most assuredly does not oblige Washington to pay for the extravagance unfolding at Ground Zero.
New Yorkers need to shed their parochialism and address Coburn’s objection straight up.