Ground Zero Mosque To Get Federal Funding?

It seems that the Saudi funding for the Ground Zero Mosque has fallen through due the the profound unpopularity of the proposed site.  John Avlon of the Daily Beast is reporting that the organizers of the proposed Mosque near ground zero are seeking Federal Grants to pay for their project.  This money is available from multi-billion dollar trust fund that was set up to revitalize the area around the World Trade Center.

Developers of the controversial Park51 Islamic community center and mosque located two blocks from ground zero earlier this month applied for roughly $5 million in federal grant money set aside for the redevelopment of lower Manhattan after the attacks of September 11, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.  The application was submitted under a “community and cultural enhancement” grant program administered by the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation (LMDC), which oversaw the $20 billion in federal aid allocated in the wake of 9/11 and is currently doling out millions in remaining taxpayer funds for community development. The redevelopment board declined to comment on the application (as did officials from Park51), citing the continuing and confidential process of determining the grant winners.

If this money is granted, I expect that the hue and cry that will be raised will show the previous anger to be a mere bump in the road.  No Federal, state or local money should be used in a private religious center for any faith!  I wouldn't support a Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist center, much less a Muslim Mosque or even a "non-denominational" centre.