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5/7/2010
One man’s pork is another man’s park
Dave Obey will be missed in northern Wisconsin. Yes, I’ll say. The venerable Representative did his part to bring otherwise rare federal dollars to his home state.
During a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Obey commented on the effect the loss of seniority could have on the 7th Congressional District upon electing someone to his or her first term in office.
“Frankly, if you take a look at the projects that we’ve been able to bring back to the district, we have been able to bring back more than the rest of the (state’s) House delegation combined because of my position on the Appropriations Committee,” he said. “That will obviously change.”
Change. Local officials aren’t looking forward to it.
Obey represented working-class citizens by bringing money to Wisconsin for projects such as the Highway 51/29 exchange and the construction of a medical center in Clark County, said Mike Moran, chairman of the Marathon County Democratic Party. Obey also was passionate about health care reform and education, he said.
Former Wausau mayor Linda Lawrence said Obey has been unfairly accused of being a pork barrel champion. The projects for which he helped find funding, including Interstate 39 expansion, ArtsBlock, the health sciences building at Northcentral Technical College and the assisted living facility on Grand Avenue, are not pork, she said.
Indeed, Representative Obey “made his mark,” this time on Wisconsin Rapids.
During the past four decades, Obey made his mark on Wisconsin Rapids and the surrounding community, said Mayor Mary Jo Carson, who, like many, was surprised by the news.
"It's been huge because he was the person that got us the grant that allowed us to extend water and sewer into the (Rapids East Commerce Center)," Carson said. "Otherwise, we still might not have that park because of the cost."
The east-side industrial park now is the site of Urban Processing's expanded cranberry processing facility and the home of Energy Composites, which is finalizing plans to build a 535,000-square-foot manufacturing plant it expects will create more than 600 jobs. …. "We are seeing more and more longtime Democratic leaders who are resigning," said Gordy Freeman, mayor of Nekoosa, where officials are preparing for an upgrade to the city's wastewater treatment plant -- a project made possible, in part, through more than $1.2 million in funds Obey earmarked within the federal budget.
"We were very pleased with what the (congressman) has done for central Wisconsin," Freeman said. "The city of Nekoosa was much better off in knowing Mr. Obey."
My gosh, these Obey projects are everywhere. I know why the Chair of the Appropriations Committee has these inordinate powers – but is it right?
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Jo,
It's not right but when did "being right" every have anything to do with pork barrel politics. It's about "getting even" or "getting my share". The reality is that Wisconsin has for a long time (like many other northern and eastern states) been a net donor to the treasury whereas many southern and western states are net recipients from the treasury. The federal largess is in the form of military bases, medicare, medicaid, water projects etc. So, we get a bit back on projects that generate some temporary or permanent jobs. And we have a milk price support system. Yes, one man's pork is another man's vital project.
dave allen (Fri May 07 06:52:02 2010)
Think how much more money WI would have had for projects if Obey and his porkers had not first filtered it through the federal bureaucracy. For all his pork, WI is still a donor state, chronically receiving much less than it sends to the Treasury. Obey’s departure will be a long-term good thing, so long as his successor does not take up the pork mantle.
timbeaux (Fri May 07 07:16:35 2010)
It would be great if each project (military base, medicare law, medicaid law, price support system) were all somehow magically evaluated on some pure merit system. However this is impossible for a bunch or reasons. So what happens? I will vote for your project if you vote for mine. Human nature and also politics. You're not going to get rid of it. Obey's successor won't bring home the pork, not because he/she wants to or doesn't want to simply because they won't have the power to do so. So their personal morals/policies don't matter. However, lets say that Obey did run and was elected and chose to unilaterally disarm. Do you think he'd take that chance? Do you think the people in his district would want him to?
dave allen (Fri May 07 07:54:49 2010)
Dave, Cash Money is also a strong indicator as to how someone is going to vote, and Obey was no angel. CEOs are a lot of things, but they aren't stupid. They know how money inspires. And as long as we keep this cash-and-carry system it will remain so.
Jack Lohman (Fri May 07 08:06:08 2010)
Jack,
I'm not saying Obey is an angel or that he's a devil. The pork won't go away and we should decide if we want our fair share or reject it all and let everyone else get theirs. It is also very hard to know what is pork. Are dairy price supports any less pork because they're wrapped up in a big ag bill? Or does pork have to be only member items tacked on to an unrelated bill? How about weapons systems the military doesn't want but a congressman does? the list is endless.
dave allen (Fri May 07 08:35:51 2010)
All this talk of Pork...
Is it any wonder the God of Abraham forbade His people to eat of the dirty beast...
Andrew Ellis (Fri May 07 09:05:00 2010)
The list is endless only because of our cash-and-carry political system. If our governor was smart (an oxymoron, I know) he'd say "No more! Our taxpayers can't afford to pay for the freebies."
Jack Lohman (Fri May 07 10:27:06 2010)
Did anyone ever read David Crockett's "Not Your to Give" yet!? Y'all should!
emily matthews (Fri May 07 11:50:35 2010)
jack, what's the governor got to do with it?
dave allen (Fri May 07 14:20:11 2010)
Dave, it seems other governors have turned down pork and Doyle should too.
Jack E Lohman (Fri May 07 16:01:45 2010)
Jack,
It's an interesting concept of govs turning down pork. Other than than the Palin charade about the bridge to nowhere I'd like to learn more. However again, it's unilateral disarmament. A Gov. turning down "jobs" ? How many took that chance and what happened to them?
dave allen (Sat May 08 08:24:22 2010)
Dave, it's a mentality thingy. I've got to get mine, so we have to increase the size of the pie so everybody gets theirs. If projects are worthwhile the community should fund them. When the govt funds them the pie grows beyond its real needs. And unneeded and stupid things get funded. Remember the fountains in New Orleans that got money that should have been spent bolstering the dikes.
Jack Lohman (Sat May 08 09:32:41 2010)
The Wisconsin GOP is missing a real opportunity. In Wednesday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist was quoted as saying "Dave Obey was a better congressman for Milwaukee than any congressman we actually had."
Realy John?
So that means Tom Barrett, Democrat nominee for Governor, wasn't much of a Congressman for Milwaukee?
I'm not surprised, he hasn't been much more than a coat rack as the Mayor either, and a pretty useless candidate for Governor too!
Rohn W. Bishop (Sun May 09 08:44:23 2010)
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