Helping the House Appropriations Committee

It is time to help Rep. Dave Obey. For years, we have lamented that the federal government spends too much money. For years, we have been ignorant of federal projects that appear to us to be whimsically chosen and approved. Now is the time to apply ourselves and help Dave Obey’s Appropriations Committee choose new projects wisely.

Carpe Diem, my fellow beer-drinking, brat-eating, cheese-gobbling, and tick-picking friends. Carpe Diem.

Here at Rep. Obey’s website can be found a list of 100 appropriations projects for his Wisconsin district. Put yourself in the Congressman’s shoes and make those tough choices that need to be made. If you were a member of the Appropriations Committee, which of the projects would you turn down? Go take a look and then come back and tell me how you would decide which were worthy and which were not. Which would you vote ‘aye’ and which would you vote ‘nay’? Remember that this is just one district’s projects and you have 534 other district’s projects to review. How many of these would you cut?

What do you think of “student and incumbent workers hav(ing) the opportunity to learn, mentor and experience kinesthetic learning” ? How about “upgrading 50 miles of existing rail beds in Chippewa and Barron counties to improve the efficiency of rail service to area businesses, improving their competitiveness and preserving jobs.” Are you in favor of more dairy research? Cranberry research? Do you favor federal dollars paying for Wisconsin salaries? This is a test of your ability to say ‘no’ when stewarding other people’s federal tax dollars.

What Would You Do? (WWYD)

There are a few project examples below the fold.

Animal Identification –Premises Registration
Recipient: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
Address: 2811 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53708-8911
Amount: $2,000,000
Description: These funds would help the State and a consortium of 55 livestock industry groups and businesses continue to develop the national model for a 48-hour traceback program which will preserve animal health and protect consumers in the event of a food-related disease outbreak through identification, isolation and containment of the disease at its source and through the distribution process.

Cereal Crops Research Unit at UW Madison
Recipient: USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cereal Crops Unit
Address: 502 Walnut Street, Madison, WI 53726
Amount: $1,402,000
Description: This request represents a $500,000 increase in funding for the ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit located in Madison, Wisconsin which conducts research on wheat, barley, and oat crops to assist farmers in producing heartier crops and stimulates rural economies through improved yields.

Chronic Wasting Disease Management (CWD)
Recipient: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
Address: 2811 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53708-8911
Amount: $1,023,660
Description: In 2002, Wisconsin discovered CWD in both wild and farm raised deer. The equivalent of BSE in cows and Creutzfeld Jakob Disease in humans, Wisconsin’s deer population has suffered the nation’s most extensive outbreak ever.These funds would help the State continue to manage and contain the problem by encouraging herd owners to microchip animals for individual identification, help pay for sampling and disposal of infected animals, and containment.

Cranberry Research Program Buildings and Facilities
Recipient: United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service
Address: 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250
Amount: $7,000,000
Description: The 2008 Farm Bill includes authorization for research grants to study new technologies to assist cranberry growers in complying with federal and state environmental regulations, increase production, develop growing techniques, establish more efficient growing methodologies, and educate cranberry growers about sustainable growth practices. The requested funding would pay for the purchase of 80 acres of existing cranberry bogs in Wisconsin and construction and renovation of cranberry research facilities.

Cranberry Research Program Salaries and Expenses
Recipient: United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service
Address: 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250
Amount: $3,000,000
Description: The 2008 Farm Bill includes authorization for research grants to study new technologies to assist cranberry growers in complying with federal and state environmental regulations, increase production, develop growing techniques, establish more efficient growing methodologies, and educate cranberry growers about sustainable growth practices. The requested funding would pay salaries and expenses for research and support staff.

Advanced Flexible Solar Photovoltaic Technologies
Recipient: Creative Film Technologies
Address: 1406 Lowater Road, Chippewa Falls WI 54729
Amount: $5,000,000
Description: Would allow development of flexible, rugged protective film barriers for solar charging systems in the field. A reduction in photovoltaic size, weight and cost could translate into significantly increased user acceptance by the US Army in the near term. Over the long term, an energy-independent warfighter will enable reduced logistics and improved readiness in future US Army operations.

Compostable & Recyclable Fiberboard Material for Secondary Packaging
Recipient: Green Bay Packaging – Wausau Division
Address: 6845 Packer Drive, Wausau WI 54401
Amount: $6,000,000
Description: Would allow for the development of a new generation of toxic-free, soy-infused, compostable and highly durable shipping containers to replace toxic, non-recyclable fiberboard material for food shipping to our troops, reducing the footprint of war.

Common Digital Sensor Architecture
Recipient: Rex Systems
Address: 10684 43rd Avenue, Chippewa Falls WI 54729
Amount: $5,000,000
Description: Would allow for development of new digital, modular components that will become common among legacy and newly developed sensor architecture. The U.S. Navy has several legacy radars already 10+ years past projected operational life, that were developed and fielded in the 1970’s and 80’s during the early stages of computer/digital signal processing evolution. Although they continue to perform important functions for integrated warfare, force protection, and navigation, they are now suffering the effects of obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources (DMS) in addition to unsupportable testing methods. This project is expected to extend life cycle, lower the cost of operation and ownership, and decrease training and manpower requirements yielding cost savings and increased readiness.

After School Programs
Recipient: Cooperative Educational Services Agency #9
Address: 304 Kamphaem Road, Tomahawk, WI 54487
Amount: $800,000
Description: Provides for an after-school consortium in northern Wisconsin that would enable schools to enhance student achievement through after-school activities. This would build on research that has shown that when students have an alternative place to go after school where they can study and be supervised by an adult, not only are they less likely to get into trouble, but they also have a better education experience.

Dental Outreach Program
Recipient: Marquette University
Address: P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201
Amount: $850,000
Description: These funds would be used by Marquette University to send dental students and faculty to underserved areas, including the Stevens Point area and the Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area, to provide oral health care. According to a Report by the Surgeon General, we face a silent epidemic of dental and oral disease which restricts activities in school, work and home, and often diminishes quality of life. Within Wisconsin, in the State fiscal year 2007, only 23.5% of our Medicaid population with dental benefits were able to access dental care.

Engineering Center for Excellence
Recipient: Northcentral Technical College
Address: 1000 West Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401
Amount: $6,500,000
Description: Funding would help the Center of Excellence build upon strong regional partnerships and commitments between high schools, Northcentral Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Stout to provide on-site, seamless Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education and training under one roof with district-wide outreach through advanced technology so student and incumbent workers have the opportunity to learn, mentor and experience kinesthetic learning that can be applied in their local communities.

Freight Rail Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation
Recipient: Wisconsin West Rail Transit Authority (WWRTA)
Address: 770 Scheidler Road, Suite #3, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Amount: $3,000,000
Description: Funding would assist the WWRTA in upgrading 50 miles of existing rail beds in Chippewa and Barron counties to improve the efficiency of rail service to area businesses, improving their competitiveness and preserving jobs.

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3 thoughts on “Helping the House Appropriations Committee

  1. The first issue is getting past the soundbites. Take Animal Identification, for example. While “preserving animal health and protecting consumers” sounds great, it’s simply not an accurate description of the program. Despite 2 FOIA request, the federal government has yet to produce any scientific studies or models showing how this program will actually improve animal health, over the existing programs. Moreover, the program tracks live animals and stops at the slaughterhouse. So it does absolutely nothing to prevent, treat, or track foodborne illnesses, which are the result of contamination at the slaughterhouse and during food processing. What the program does do well is increase profits for a few large corporations, like Digital Angel and Tyson.

    We do need programs to address animal health and food safety. But the “Animal Identification” program that Obey’s Committee has spent over $100 million on so far (the funding for the Wisconsin program is just the tip of the iceberg) is nothing more than a corporate boondoggle.

    1. Judith, I agree that the short synopses mask the context of the legislation. Yet somehow our government officials are often found voting for legislation or appropriations that they have not read nor understand. On some of these issues, your opinion and mine carry the same validity as Rep. Obey’s.
      If we want good government, how is that acheivable with the plethora of issues and minutiae that exist? In short, how does one ensure the ‘rightness’ of one’s vote or decision?

      1. I think you’ve identified one of the core problems. I don’t think there’s a single solution. I think steps that reduce improper influence by large corporations are critical: really enforcing our antitrust laws, developing serious limitations on the revolving door between agencies and industry, and having a no-loophole policy of “no lobbyists” in the administration. Even those might not solve the entire problem, but they’d be very good beginnings!

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