On lockdown: Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards will receive $250 million from the federal government to build six Fast Response Cutters for the Coast Guard. U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today the funding for these vessels was included in the FY 2012 federal spending bill. Landrieu says the funding was part of a total $8.9 billion in discretionary funding allocated to the Coast Guard in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s budget. The six boats to be built by Bollinger will be home-ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She says the funding is expected to create 800 jobs.
On deck: The 2013 LSU baseball squad takes the field for the first time Sunday, as the Tigers begin their six-week fall practice period in Alex Box Stadium. The fall practice session continues through Nov. 5. All workouts in Alex Box Stadium are open to the public. The Tigers have engaged for the last month in strength and conditioning drills and individual workouts on the field. The 2013 season begins on Feb. 15, when the Tigers play host to Maryland.
For full disclosure: GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney released his 2011 tax return this afternoon, showing that he paid an effective rate last year of 14.1%. The Romneys paid more than $1.9 million in taxes on about $13.7 million in income, most of which came from investments. The Romneys also donated slightly more than $4 million to charity last year, amounting to nearly 30% of their income. The Obamas, for their part, paid a little over $162,000 in federal taxes last year on adjusted gross income of $789,674, for a rate of 20.5%. Romney’s complete tax return and supporting documents are available in the disclosure page of his website here.
