A Closer Look at Money For Michigan
Read more: Local, State, National, Economy, Politics, Earmarks, Fact Finder, Camp, Spending, Fact Finder
If they're in your district, chances are you call them projects. If they are in some one else's district, they might be labeled earmarks. And earmarks these days are getting a bad wrap. But they also brought in hundreds of millions of dollars to Michigan.
I took a closer look in tonight's fact finder report.
Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow worked together to bring 179 projects to Michigan totalling almost $153 million. These earmarks are for everything from agriculture, transportation, healthcare, law enforcement and more.
Of the handful of their projects in northern Michigan, $17 million will go for Soo lock replacement and nearly half a million dollars to fight and research bovine t.b.
Congressman Bart Stupak had 26 earmarks in the spending bill totalling about $29.5 million dollars. Some of the projects include $475,000 for the Pellston airport for snow removal and firefighting equipment, $300,000 for Charlevoix, Cheboygan Emmet central dispatch, and $977,000 for the B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarship Fund.
Congressman Pete Hoekstra had 19 earmarks totalling just under $7 million. Some of the projects include dredging for several lake Michigan harbors, several hundred thousand dollars each for Benzie, Wexford and Ludington Transit Authorities and $1.5 million for an off shore wind energy project.
The other lawmaker representing northern Michigan is Dave Camp, whose district includes Traverse City. Congressman Camp had no earmarks. I called his office and a spokesperson says the congressman believes the earmark process needs to be reformed so that there is greater oversight. And while the district may miss out on the money now, he says sometimes you need to take a step back for the greater good.
So what do you think about Congressman Camp's decision to ask for no projects, or earmarks, for his district? And what about the other projects? Leave your comments below. Here's a linkto where you can read up the earmarks for yourself, find out which lawmakers asked for them and how much they will cost.
