Mike Sodrel getting things done for Bloomington
Bloomington Herald-Times, October 13, 2008
To the editor:
While Mike Sodrel was our representative in Congress, he was busy working for Bloomington. Among his accomplishments:
- Sodrel secured $500,000 in federal matching funds for the expansion of Fullerton Pike.
- Sodrel secured $1.8 million for a Bloomington Transit park and ride program, an investment that especially relevant now given the price of gasoline.
- Sodrel secured $4 million for Bloomington Transit a few months before he secured the money for park and ride.
- Sodrel secured $1.35 million in funding for the IU Cyclotron Facility to develop a Free Electron Laser.
- Sodrel secured “$1.17 million for the chemistry department’s Next Generation Threat Detection program, intended to develop methods for detecting chemical and biological warfare agents.” (H-T, September 28, 2006)
Sodrel was asked about this on AM 1370 last month, when the host made the point that Bloomington is not an especially politically friendly place for him. Sodrel responded that “while you run as a Republican or a Democrat, you serve everyone in the district.”
Mike Sodrel is truly “getting things done for us”. I look forward to sending him back to Washington to continue to work for Bloomington and all of the Ninth District. Thanks Mike!
This post is also available at ConservaTibbs.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Does Sodrel really want to emphasize the pork aspect of his time in Congress? (I would only classify about half of those items as pork, but it is there, nevertheless)
October 13th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
The Sodrel campaign didn’t write or approve the letter. I can’t speak for them regarding the content, I can only speak for the author.
My view is that there have been earmarks for decades. Ideally, I think they should all be eliminated, with the exception of ones dedicated to things like national security, and they should get a full vote in the House and Senate.
But if the money is there and it’s going to be spent, then I have no problem with a member of Congress trying to get some help for his district. Sodrel was doing what he could to help Monroe County generally and Indiana University specifically. For that, he should be praised, which is why I wrote the letter.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:02 am
This information just made me like Sodrel less who I have generally thought he was better than most. UNLESS, he actually voted against the spending bills after requesting the earmarks (not likely).
I always liked Sodrel, largely for his support of The FairTax but a big list of his earmark pork is not really what I’d be promoting. I suppose it could play well to The People’s Republic though.
I say all of this, of course, understanding that the earmark process involves allocating funds that have already been approved instead of letting the executive branch have all the fun. I argue that they should just cut the $18 to $30 billion out of the budget and quit earmarking.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Sean, you point out the true problem with earmarks–it is really just redirecting funds that have already been approved. From that standpoint, it is hard to argue that a Congressman is involved in hurting spending by engaging in earmarks. The exception for that is if they are taking funds from one needed program to build, say, a bridge to nowhere.
But your larger point is the most valid–the fact that we have an allocation that would allow that could be redirected to city mass transportation is the real problem.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I don’t like earmarks as much as the next right winger - though Sean is right this does play to the People’s Republic of Bloomington.
The mindset there (and even here in Indianapolis in some respects) seems “Everyone else gets their government money, where’s ours?”. In 2006 Eric Dickerson campaigned against the late Julia Carson and one of his talking points was why hasn’t Julia Carson brought home more federal money than she had. “Bringing home the bacon” so to speak.