September 2005 Open Letter on Katrina Funding

-----Original Message-----

From: Ned Lamont
To: Chris Shays
Sent: Fri Sep 30, 2005
Subject: Give it Back

Open Letter to Congressman Christopher Shays
cc Senators Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd

Dear Congressman:

Give it back, give back the $93 million which is our district's allocation out of the $286 billion transportation bill. Give it back since post Katrina our nation's infrastructure priorities have changed and we need federal money to fix the levees in New Orleans more than we need intermodal transportation centers, walking bridges and trails in Fairfield County.

Give it back because the $286 billion transportation bill was wasteful even pre Katrina, including 6371 pet projects called 'earmarks' which are based upon politics more than need. The earmarks follow political clout: Republican Tom Delay and Democrat Nancy Pelosi lead the pack in 'earmarks.' Ironically, it is Pelosi who is leading the charge to 'give back' her earmarks, in contrast to Delay who noted, "My earmarks are pretty important to that region." Congressman Don Young, Republican of Alaska and co-author of the transportation bill which includes the infamous $223M 'bridge to nowhere' in his district, when asked about giving back some of his earmarks, responded, "They can kiss my ear."

Ok, I know that our district's earmark spending is important and their district's spending is pork; I know that if congress is going to waste/spend/invest alot of money, we should make sure that we get our fair share. But one measure of 'fair share' would be to divide the $286 billion by 435 (the number of congressional districts); that computes to $600 million per district . The 4th Congressional District is receiving $93 million. We're getting shortchanged as is; set an example, give it back.

With one of the highest per capita incomes in the country and a progressive income tax, our congressional district pays more, about 35% more, in taxes than it receives from bills like the transportation bill, so every dollar of wasteful spending costs Fairfield County alot more than a dollar. And speaking of wealthy districts, oil at $70/barrel suggests that Alaska is already doing pretty well; reallocating transportation dollars to the Alaskan "bridge to nowhere" is like expanding foreign aid to Saudi Arabia. (Earmarks per capita: Alaska: $1597; Louisiana $121; Connecticut $98). Let's at least give back the earmarks as a downpayment on rebuilding the Louisiana levees. More likely, sadly, Congress will pass another emergency appropriation to pay for the Gulf rebuilding, and borrow the money from the Chinese. [Editor's note: that is just what we did.]

In the big scheme of things, the $286 billion with the assorted pet projects is not that significant a budget buster, financed as it is over a period of years. But if this congress does not have the discipline or the will to get something as simple as transportation spending right, they clearly lack the moxie to deal with a complicated issue like healthcare spending. Everybody from Brookings to Heritage agrees that increases in medicare and medicaid spending will double and then triple the current budget deficit as baby boomers retire, assuming that the program stays status quo. On transportation, this Congress failed the little test; there is no reason to be optimistic that they can address the big reforms necessary to keep our country solvent.

There is nary a fiscal conservative left in Washington and that includes the Democrats. The transportation bill was passed almost unanimously, and the Democratic answer to the ballooning budget deficit is rescind the Bush tax cuts. Given our aging population, entitlement spending left alone, including healthcare, will increase the budget by 50% in today's dollars over the next generation; rescinding all the Bush tax cuts will solve less than a quarter of the problem.

The 'bridge to nowhere,' much like the $10,000 military toilet seat and the limousine-riding welfare queen in years past, is used to discredit government. Good programs as well as bad fall victim to a pervasive cynicism. Even if the conservatives do not seem to care about wasteful spending and deficits any longer, the liberals must be especially vigilant to such waste to maintain credibility in protecting the important government programs that make a difference in so many lives.

So Congressman Shays, the voters will forgive you if you step forward and announce that the 4th Congressional District is giving back its share of the transportation largesse, as a down payment on fixing the levees in New Orleans, and a downpayment on fixing America.