In the Evans/Novak political report that gets emailed to me every week, Robert Novak makes this observation:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is painted by Republicans as a left-wing extremist, but the truth is that the left wing of House Democrats complain privately that she is far too cautious. They grumble that nothing is being accomplished in Congress because Pelosi is far too attentive to 20 or so moderates in the Democratic caucus -- especially those who overturned Republicans last year in marginal districts.
Interesting juxtaposition and timing. I happen to live in the District of one of thoes 20 or so moderates - who thus far has been exactly that, pretty moderate overall, especially given what we expect from a Democrat - and in Kansas our pet Democrat has been Dennis Moore, who generally fits the schema, where thus far Nancy Boyda has not.
In a sense, Ms. Boyda proved the point yesterday, as she published, for all to see, her list of earmarks for the upcoming budget battle.
Here's the letter that accompanied the list:
List of FY 2008 Appropriations RequestsIn the coming weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives will begin to debate the yearly appropriations bills to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2008. As part of that process, Members of Congress often submit appropriations requests, or earmarks, to set aside funds for particular projects. These earmarks do not add funds to the federal budget; instead they set aside funds for particular projects among the dollars allocated to federal agencies.
This process makes sense. Instead of someone sitting on the 4th floor in an office building in DC deciding where federal funds go, Members of Congress set aside a portion of funds for projects especially important to their districts. The result is - or can be - a more responsive, efficient federal government.
The earmark process has been abused in the past. Members of Congress have set aside funds for programs that turned out to personally benefit them. This Congress has worked hard to clean this up, and now all Members of Congress have to submit formal statements that they have no personal financial interest in their earmark requests.
Since January, I have been meeting with constituents to talk about the programs in their communities they feel need federal funds. The list below represents those programs that can be funded under the mandates of a federal agency.
There are many pressures on the federal budget, and with the passage of the new “pay as you go” rules instituted by the Democrats in Congress, it will be harder and harder to pay for new programs without finding the corresponding savings from other programs. Therefore, it is likely that only a few of these projects will ultimately receive earmarked funding. Still, I consider each one important to people in the Second District of Kansas, and I am proud to support these programs in Congress.
It is important to me that this process is as transparent as possible. After all, this is taxpayer money. This is why I am taking the unusual step of publicly releasing this list of my appropriations requests.
Regards,
Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress
Emphasis in the original.
Below the fold, in the Flash Traffic/Extended Entry, is the list of Ms. Boyda's earmarks for the district. Interesting list. Have at it, plus or minus.
Title: The Children's Identification and Location Database (CHILD) Project
Requesting Entity: Miami County Sheriff's Office
Amount: $25,000
Title: The Children's Identification and Location Database (CHILD) Project
Requesting Entity: Atchison County Sheriff's Office
Amount: $25,000
Title: National Fred Harvey Museum Restoration
Requesting Entity: National Fred Harvey Museum
Amount: $100,000
Title: Army Corps of Engineers Manhattan, Kansas Levee Study
Requesting Entity: City of Manhattan, Kansas
Amount: $200,000
Title: Topeka, Kansas Flood Damage Reduction
Requesting Entity: City of Topeka, Kansas
Amount: $200,000
Title: Iola Public Library
Requesting Entity: City of Iola, Kansas
Amount: $250,000
Title: EMEDS Center of Excellence
Requesting Entity: 190th Air Refueling Wing
Amount: $250,000
Title: John Redmond Reservoir Feasibility Study
Requesting Entity: Kansas Water Office
Amount: $250,000
Title: Army Corps of Engineers Flood Damage Reduction Project, City of Rossville
Requesting Entity: City of Rossville, Kansas
Amount: $300,000
Title: Pre-harvest Food Safety and Security
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $400,000
Title: Renovations to Constitution Hall, Topeka, Kansas
Requesting Entity: City of Topeka, Kansas
Amount: $500,000
Title: Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center Radios to Support Joint Operations
Requesting Entity: Joint Force Headquarters, Kansas National Guard
Amount: $500,000
Title: Infrastructure Development of Ottawa Industrial Park
Requesting Entity: City of Ottawa, Kansas
Amount: $520,625
Title: Broadway Streetscape Phase II
Requesting Entity: City of Pittsburg, Kansas
Amount: $680,000
Title: Development of Overland Station and surrounding park lands
Requesting Entity: City of Topeka, Kansas
Amount: $695,000
Title: Persistent Outcomes of War
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $700,000
Title: Center for Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $750,000
Title: Riverside Park Community Building Renovation
Requesting Entity: City of Iola, Kansas
Amount: $750,000
Title: Mobile Data Terminals with Automated Vehicle Locator Integration System
Requesting Entity: Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority
Amount: $800,000
Title: Renovation of K-10 and Bob Billings Parkway Intersection
Requesting Entity: City of Lawrence, Kansas
Amount: $800,000
Title: Clinton Lake - Bloomington Park Road Improvements
Requesting Entity: Kansas City District, US Army Corps of Engineers
Amount: $850,000
Title: The American Soldier Project
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $1,000,000
Title: Interstate 70 Viaduct Realignment
Requesting Entity: City of Topeka, Kansas
Amount: $1,000,000
Title: Leadership for Leaders at CGSC/CAL and KSU
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $1,000,000
Title: Kansas Regional Prisons Museum
Requesting Entity: City of Lansing, Kansas
Amount: $1,180,000
Title: Clinton Lake - Dam Toe Road Access and Dam Road Repair
Requesting Entity: Kansas City District, US Army Corps of Engineers
Amount: $1,200,000
Title: 20th Street Extension & US 73 Improvements
Requesting Entity: City of Leavenworth, Kansas
Amount: $1,262,000
Title: Kansas Technology Center
Requesting Entity: Pittsburg State University
Amount: $1,292,000
Title: Wheat Genetic and Genomic Resources Center
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $1,300,000
Title: Iola, Kansas Wastewater System Improvements
Requesting Entity: City of Iola, Kansas
Amount: $1,500,000
Title: Streetscape improvements to the central business district
Requesting Entity: City of Fredonia, Kansas
Amount: $1,500,000
Title: The City of Ottawa Community Recreation Center
Requesting Entity: City of Ottawa, Kansas
Amount: $1,500,000
Title: Joint Light Tactical Vehicle - Second Source Tires
Requesting Entity: JLTV Program Office and Goodyear Tire
Amount: $1,500,000
Title: National Agricultural Biosecurity Center
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $1,600,000
Title: Military Working Dog Facility
Requesting Entity: Governor's Military Council, State of Kansas
Amount: $1,900,000
Title: Treece, Kansas Buyout
Requesting Entity: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Amount: $2,000,000
Title: Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center Safety Equipment
Requesting Entity: Joint Force Headquarters, Kansas National Guard
Amount: $2,000,000
Title: Our Military Kids, Inc. Expansion Program
Requesting Entity: National Guard Bureau
Amount: $2,000,000
Title: Combined Arms Center/Ft. Leavenworth Faculty and Officer Development Program
Requesting Entity: University of Kansas
Amount: $2,000,000
Title: Kansas Virtual Transportation Operations Center
Requesting Entity: State of Kansas Department of Transportation
Amount: $2,000,000
Title: PC-AFIS Fingerprint Identification Technology, Global Initiatives Unit, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, FBI, Clarksburg, West Virginia
Requesting Entity: AFIX Technologies, Pittsburg, Kansas
Amount: $2,300,000
Title: South Topeka Sewer & Water Infrastructure
Requesting Entity: City of Topeka, Kansas
Amount: $2,500,000
Title: Great Plains Sorghum Improvement and Utilization Center
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $2,500,000
Title: K-State GIScience Commons
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $2,570,000
Title: M871 Series Trailer Refurbishment Program
Requesting Entity: Army National Guard Readiness Center
Amount: $2,900,000
Title: Midwest Institute for Comparative Stem Cell Biology
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $3,000,000
Title: Bus Fleet Replacement, Topeka Metropolitan Transit
Requesting Entity: Topeka Metropolitan Transit
Amount: $3,000,000
Title: Parents as Teachers Military Pilot
Requesting Entity: Parents as Teachers National Center
Amount: $3,000,000
Title: Castings for Improved Defense Readiness
Requesting Entity: Defense Logistics Agency and American Metalcasting Consortium
Amount: $3,200,000
Title: US Highway 69, Crawford County Section
Requesting Entity: City of Pittsburg, Kansas
Amount: $3,500,000
Title: Kansas Polymer Research Center
Requesting Entity: Pittsburg State University
Amount: $4,000,000
Title: University of Kansas High Throughput Screening Upgrade
Requesting Entity: University of Kansas Center for Research
Amount: $5,000,000
Title: National Center for Strategic Applications of Nuclear Sensors
Requesting Entity: Kansas State University
Amount: $5,000,000
Title: Improvement to Runway Safety at Manhattan, Airport
Requesting Entity: City of Manhattan, Kansas
Amount: $5,000,000
Title: Advanced Extended Range Attack Missile
Requesting Entity: AERAM PM at AMRDEC
Amount: $5,000,000
Title: National Eisenhower Memorial Design Phase I and Associated Operational Costs
Requesting Entity: The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Amount: $5,100,000
Title: Green Valley Road Improvements, Pottawatomie County Kansas
Requesting Entity: Pottawatomie County, Kansas
Amount: $5,900,000
Title: Reconstruction of K20 between US 75 and Horton, Kansas
Requesting Entity: Kansas Department of Transportation
Amount: $6,500,000
Title: Coming Together Around Military Families
Requesting Entity: OSD Office of Family Programs
Amount: $6,500,000
Title: Defense Command Integration Center
Requesting Entity: Joint Forces Headquarters, Kansas National Guard
Amount: $6,600,000
Title: Sensor Interoperability Networking, $10,000,000
Requesting Entity: Office of Naval Research
Amount: $10,000,000
Title: GL-1800 AP Truck Mounted Deicer
Requesting Entity: 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing
Amount: $8,100,000
Title: Construction on K18, Riley County Kansas
Requesting Entity: Kansas Department of Transportation
Amount: $11,000,000
Title: Rehabilitation of the Amelia Earhart Bridge - US 59
Requesting Entity: Kansas Department of Transportation
Amount: $47,200,000
pork barrel projectsearmarks, things like the "Bus Fleet Replacement, Topeka Metropolitan Transit" and ask her office to explain what Article, Section, and paragraph/line of the Constitution authorizes Congress to spend money on such things. Since they'll probably respond with either the Interstate Commerce Clause or the Necessary and Proper Clause, follow up with asking what relation the Topeka Metro Bus fleet has to interstate commerce, or what function of the federal government makes it 'necessary and proper' to buy busses for Topeka. [Heh. Heartless - Ms. Boyda's office reads the blog - consider your questions asked. As for answers, I'll probably have to ping them]