MN-01 : Davis Press Release – Blame Walz First

Dr. Brian Davis, the Republican candidate for Minnesota’s First District, may be a political newcomer but he has already exhibiting great skill at staying on his talking points …. regardless of the subject.

Davis’ press release starts “(Winona, MN) - Despite appearing at the closed Highway 43 Bridge in Winona near the Mississippi river, Congressman Tim Walz has failed to propose any real solutions to our transportation needs, especially as it concerns finding relief for working families in southern Minnesota and the burden of high gas prices. ”

From the topic of the bridge closing, Davis then immediately switches to promoting his vision of energy policy and fails to address the infrastructure that is the immediate problem.

In politics, jabbing the opponent is norm, but at least stay on the subject at hand !

Addressing Minnesota infrastructure is a problem that starts at the State level which is why MNDOT closed the bridge. Congress has some responsiblity, but the State is generally the first on the scene.

Congressman Walz going to the bridge site is not an election year ploy as Dr. Davis implies. Walz has been “boots on the ground” whenever emergencies impact the District. Somehow, I suspect that all those years in the National Guard - being ready to respond to the State’s needs - has something to do with it.
Yes, Walz was there … but he also brought the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee… seeing first hand and engaging the right people are a mark of competency.

It’s odd that Davis whose mantra is for a limited government and promises in his campaign website to eliminate the practice of Congressional ‘earmarks’ would use the Hwy 43 bridge as a backdrop.

Davis confuses “earmarks” with “pork barrel” spending projects. “Earmarks” are Congressional authorization for a specific project. Congress appropriates funds and without earmarks then the Administration can spend the monies as them deem necessary. When members of Congress record an earmark, it forces those funds to be spent on that project. Are there “pork barrel" projects … absolutely ! For years, many projects were hidden from public view which is why former Congressman Duke Cunningham (R-CA) is now in jail. (Oh, and it also allowed Charlie Wilson (D-TX) to get funding for the Afghanistan rebels versus the Soviet Union.)

Earmarks can be a good investment and those that fail to utilize the system, fail our state’s infrastructure needs. For example, consider Congressman John Kline (R-MN-02) and the Hastings bridge. Listen to the words of Kline’s challenger, Steve Sarvi. "We've got a bridge in Hastings over the Mississippi that's in danger of falling down and now is when we need a Representative in Congress who will deliver the district an earmark and get this bridge rebuilt. Our infrastructure is crumbling all over the district and Kline has done nothing. This wouldn't be some kind of bridge to nowhere, it's desperately needed. Look, I'm not scared of spending money," Steve stated. "There are many things we need to spend money on like that bridge in Hastings. I'm more concerned with wasting money."

And that’s the difference between “pork barrel spending” and “earmarks”. The solution is TRANSPARENCY. For example, Congressman Walz has issued a list of 47 "earmark" requests for 2009 appropriations totaling $211,509, 561. Some are repeats from last year, such as improvements to Highway 14, the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System that would pipe Missouri River water to southwestern Minnesota, etc.and some new ones, including the four-lane expansion of 55th Street in Rochester, the dredging and restoration of Lake Zumbro, etc.
You don’t get everything you need, but the First District needs a Congressman that will keep going back to get our monies.
As Walz explained “Minnesota sends more money to Washington that it gets back, and it’s appropriate for us to advocate for the good use of tax dollars (in the district.)”

That’s the key … appropriations need to be open and above board. Walz is a co-sponsor of resolutions to address transparency in appropriations.

The awareness of transparency in appropriations is not only championed by Walz, but also Senators Barak Obama and John McCain who recently offered S. 3077 - the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008. Senator Obama said “"We should do everything we can to ensure that the American public can easily access and track how the Federal government does its business."

As a voter, that’s what I want. Republicans and Democrats working together in a transparent government serving the people’s needs … not a newbie politician spewing talking points to advance his personal ideology.

And as a postscript, Dr. Davis should be aware that the Highway 43 Bridge will re-open shortly ... and that Congressman Walz will continue fighting for funds !


Hat Tip to Evil Bobby for alerting us to the Dr. Brian Davis election strategy.

Could U2 Earmark a Rock for Infrastructure Concert for Wilmar ?

Investment in infrastructure seems to be a continual need … regardless if it is in Africa or Wilmar.

While President Bush is in Africa reviewing his five-year, $1.2 billion plan to cut malaria deaths in half in the hardest-hit countries, communities in America are languishing behind needed investments.
As compassionate Americans, we applaud his desires for a better world, but ask how our local communities can get their projects funded?

No doubt that the work of Bono involving Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill in a tour of Africa made an impact. In Uganda, O’Neill remarked "Forty-five percent of the people don't have clean water. The amount of money that's required to give everyone here clean water is maybe $25 million." Later, he cited the example of Ghana's need for clean water supplies, noting that in many cases, it could be solved by drilling $5,000 wells.

At that time, Bono was asked about a Rock for Infrastructure Tour with his band U2. I doubt that Bono thought he would have to earmark a stop in Wilmar, but I wonder if that is what it will take.

The Willmar City Council has authorized the city to file for a state loan to finance construction of the new wastewater treatment plant and conveyance system, estimated at $87.2 million.
The new estimate is up $7 million from a December 2005 facilities plan estimate of $80.2 million. Willmar’s project is among a pool of requests totaling about $1.8 billion. Some date back to 2000 (or essentially throughout Mr. Bush's presidency) and are awaiting funds.
Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar and Representative Collin Peterson have been requested to assist in the federal grant.

If they succeed, will they be charged with “pork barrel spending” ?
Essentially, this would be an earmark … an instruction within an appropriations bill that designates monies to a specific project. The Constitution under Article I Section 9 empowers Congress with the powers of the purse. The departments and agencies of the executive branch may not spend any money that Congress has not appropriated, or use federal money for any purpose that Congress has not specified. Although the Congress may provide agencies with a funding, if they do not specify which projects should be funded, the agency would be liberty to spend it as they see fit.

With the 9% cost increase over the past two years, the longer the project is delayed the more it will cost. As a fiscal conservative, I was disappointed when Congress passed and Bush signed a $168 billion H.R. 5140: Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 , but the one shining star of fiscal restraint was Congressman Peterson who voted against it.

The business tax cuts included in the stimulus package are unwise. A 2006 paper published by the Federal Reserve Board shows that the economic bang for the buck of "bonus depreciation" for businesses is very modest.
The personal rebates may be spent – possibly buying products that were made in China, thus helping their economy, not ours - or may be put in savings depending upon the recipients needs.

A better stimulus would have been the passage of S. 1926 National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2007 which has been introduced by Senators Dodd and Hagel with co-sponsors Clinton, Obama and others. Disappointingly, neither Coleman nor Klobuchar have signed on. Frankly, I don't understand why Coleman with an upcoming election has not signed on. Do you think Barak Obama's speech in Janesville, Wisconsin at a GM assembly plant helped him excite his voters :
For our economy, our safety, and our workers, we have to rebuild America. I'm proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years.
This investment will multiply into almost half a trillion dollars of additional infrastructure spending and generate nearly two million new jobs -- many of them in the construction industry that's been hard hit by this housing crisis. The repairs will be determined not by politics, but by what will maximize our safety and homeland security; what will keep our environment clean and our economy strong.

Invest in America.
Did you know that a recent Veterans Affairs Department report found that 18 percent of the veterans who sought jobs within one to three years of discharge were unemployed, while one out of four who did find jobs earned less than $21,840 a year?
Hire a Vet.