<div class="timestamp"> Oh what Mark Keenum could keep doing....<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/washington/24earmarks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print">
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/washington/24earmarks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print</a>
March 24, 2008 </div> <div class="kicker"></div> <h1>Study Finds Record Education Earmarks</h1> <div class="byline"> By <font color="#000066">ALAN FINDER</font> </div> <div id="articleBody">
Congress set aside a record $2.3 billion in pet projects for colleges and universities last year for research on subjects like berries and reducing odors from swine and poultry, according to an analysis by The Chronicle of Higher Education to be published on Monday.</p>
Despite recent calls in Congress for a moratorium on the home state projects, known as earmarks, the sum was $300 million more than the last time The Chronicle conducted its survey, in 2003, when the total was $2.01 billion. When the publication first analyzed earmarks in 1990, legislators set aside $270 million for colleges and universities.</p>
Congress approved 2,306 earmarks last year for higher education, compared with 223 in 1990, The Chronicle said.</p>
The earmarks included several centers honoring legislators. Among these were a $1.9 million grant to help create the <font color="#000066">Charles B. Rangel</font> Center for Public Service at <font color="#000066">City College of New York</font>. Mr. Rangel, Democrat of New York and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sponsored the earmark.</p>
The largest single earmark for higher education went to the University of South Alabama, which received $30 million for an engineering and science center. Senator <font color="#000066">Richard C. Shelby</font>, Republican of Alabama, inserted the earmark into legislation.</p>
<font color="#000066">Mississippi State University</font> got the most money over all, $43 million for more than 30 projects. The <font color="#000066">University of Mississippi</font> received $37 million from 27 earmarks. Senator <font color="#000066">Thad Cochran</font> of Mississippi, the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, was responsible for most of those, according to The Chronicle's analysis.</p>
While such pork-barrel projects range far beyond academia, they are particularly controversial in higher education because they bypass the normal route for financing peer-reviewed scientific research. Typically, research proposals submitted to government entities like the <font color="#000066">National Institutes of Health</font> and the <font color="#000066">National Science Foundation</font> are selected after intensive reviews by scientific panels and are based on broad national priorities.</p>
Critics say that universities, by lobbying home-state legislators, can get more money with less scrutiny.</p>
When it comes to earmarks, said James D. Savage, a professor of politics at the <font color="#000066">University of Virginia</font>, "those taxpayer dollars are allocated strictly on the basis of the power and access of the legislators involved."</p>
But many lawmakers defend the practice, saying it enables them to support important local institutions and to encourage research that stimulates economic development or to addresses other public needs in their states.</p>
"If the federal government is going to explore particular research initiatives," said Adam Telle, a spokesman for Mr. Cochran, "why shouldn't small portions of that research be done in Mississippi, a place where it can both serve the national interest and also generate real opportunity where little may have existed before?"</p>
All three presidential candidates - Senator <font color="#000066">John McCain</font> of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, and his prospective Democratic rivals, Senators <font color="#000066">Hillary Rodham Clinton</font> of New York and <font color="#000066">Barack Obama</font> of Illinois - have said they would support a moratorium on earmarks. But the Senate rejected the idea on March 13, falling 31 votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a procedural hurdle.</p>
Mr. McCain, who has criticized earmarks as wasteful, did not introduce any last year. Mr. Obama obtained 10 earmarks worth a total of $19 million, according to the analysis, and Mrs. Clinton was responsible for 21 earmarks worth $70 million, the sixth-highest total in the Senate.</p>
The Chronicle's research showed that many lawmakers were active last year enthusiastically financing projects for colleges and universities in their districts. Senator <font color="#000066">Ted Stevens</font>, Republican of Alaska, created the earmark for $968,000 in research on berries at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Three Iowa lawmakers - Senator <font color="#000066">Charles E. Grassley</font>, a Republican, Senator <font color="#000066">Tom Harkin</font>, a Democrat, and Representative Tom Latham, a Republican - sponsored a $196,000 item for research into ways to reduce odors from swine and poultry.</p>
Mr. Cochran inserted a total of $162 million to colleges and universities in his state. Mr. Shelby ranked second among members of Congress, with $86 million. Also active were Senator <font color="#000066">Pete V. Domenici</font>, Republican of New Mexico, who steered $81 million to higher education institutions in New Mexico, and Senator <font color="#000066">Byron L. Dorgan</font>, Democrat of North Dakota, who sent $74 million to colleges and universities in his state.</p>
Mr. Rangel's $1.9 million earmark for the City College center that will bear his name was among several "namesake projects" secured by committee chairmen and ranking minority members.</p>
The college has already raised $11 million for the center, which will house Mr. Rangel's papers and a conference center for programs to encourage minority students to pursue careers in public service. The center will also be linked with new undergraduate and graduate majors in public administration.</p>
An aide, Elbert Garcia, said Mr. Rangel was not available for comment late last week because he was recovering from an illness. Mr. Garcia pointed to a recent statement by Mr. Rangel about the center: "No matter how one feels about the role of government, it is clear that the future of our democracy lies in having the most talented people across all classes and racial groups to participate in public life."</p> </div>
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/washington/24earmarks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print</a>
March 24, 2008 </div> <div class="kicker"></div> <h1>Study Finds Record Education Earmarks</h1> <div class="byline"> By <font color="#000066">ALAN FINDER</font> </div> <div id="articleBody">
Congress set aside a record $2.3 billion in pet projects for colleges and universities last year for research on subjects like berries and reducing odors from swine and poultry, according to an analysis by The Chronicle of Higher Education to be published on Monday.</p>
Despite recent calls in Congress for a moratorium on the home state projects, known as earmarks, the sum was $300 million more than the last time The Chronicle conducted its survey, in 2003, when the total was $2.01 billion. When the publication first analyzed earmarks in 1990, legislators set aside $270 million for colleges and universities.</p>
Congress approved 2,306 earmarks last year for higher education, compared with 223 in 1990, The Chronicle said.</p>
The earmarks included several centers honoring legislators. Among these were a $1.9 million grant to help create the <font color="#000066">Charles B. Rangel</font> Center for Public Service at <font color="#000066">City College of New York</font>. Mr. Rangel, Democrat of New York and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sponsored the earmark.</p>
The largest single earmark for higher education went to the University of South Alabama, which received $30 million for an engineering and science center. Senator <font color="#000066">Richard C. Shelby</font>, Republican of Alabama, inserted the earmark into legislation.</p>
<font color="#000066">Mississippi State University</font> got the most money over all, $43 million for more than 30 projects. The <font color="#000066">University of Mississippi</font> received $37 million from 27 earmarks. Senator <font color="#000066">Thad Cochran</font> of Mississippi, the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, was responsible for most of those, according to The Chronicle's analysis.</p>
While such pork-barrel projects range far beyond academia, they are particularly controversial in higher education because they bypass the normal route for financing peer-reviewed scientific research. Typically, research proposals submitted to government entities like the <font color="#000066">National Institutes of Health</font> and the <font color="#000066">National Science Foundation</font> are selected after intensive reviews by scientific panels and are based on broad national priorities.</p>
Critics say that universities, by lobbying home-state legislators, can get more money with less scrutiny.</p>
When it comes to earmarks, said James D. Savage, a professor of politics at the <font color="#000066">University of Virginia</font>, "those taxpayer dollars are allocated strictly on the basis of the power and access of the legislators involved."</p>
But many lawmakers defend the practice, saying it enables them to support important local institutions and to encourage research that stimulates economic development or to addresses other public needs in their states.</p>
"If the federal government is going to explore particular research initiatives," said Adam Telle, a spokesman for Mr. Cochran, "why shouldn't small portions of that research be done in Mississippi, a place where it can both serve the national interest and also generate real opportunity where little may have existed before?"</p>
All three presidential candidates - Senator <font color="#000066">John McCain</font> of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, and his prospective Democratic rivals, Senators <font color="#000066">Hillary Rodham Clinton</font> of New York and <font color="#000066">Barack Obama</font> of Illinois - have said they would support a moratorium on earmarks. But the Senate rejected the idea on March 13, falling 31 votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a procedural hurdle.</p>
Mr. McCain, who has criticized earmarks as wasteful, did not introduce any last year. Mr. Obama obtained 10 earmarks worth a total of $19 million, according to the analysis, and Mrs. Clinton was responsible for 21 earmarks worth $70 million, the sixth-highest total in the Senate.</p>
The Chronicle's research showed that many lawmakers were active last year enthusiastically financing projects for colleges and universities in their districts. Senator <font color="#000066">Ted Stevens</font>, Republican of Alaska, created the earmark for $968,000 in research on berries at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Three Iowa lawmakers - Senator <font color="#000066">Charles E. Grassley</font>, a Republican, Senator <font color="#000066">Tom Harkin</font>, a Democrat, and Representative Tom Latham, a Republican - sponsored a $196,000 item for research into ways to reduce odors from swine and poultry.</p>
Mr. Cochran inserted a total of $162 million to colleges and universities in his state. Mr. Shelby ranked second among members of Congress, with $86 million. Also active were Senator <font color="#000066">Pete V. Domenici</font>, Republican of New Mexico, who steered $81 million to higher education institutions in New Mexico, and Senator <font color="#000066">Byron L. Dorgan</font>, Democrat of North Dakota, who sent $74 million to colleges and universities in his state.</p>
Mr. Rangel's $1.9 million earmark for the City College center that will bear his name was among several "namesake projects" secured by committee chairmen and ranking minority members.</p>
The college has already raised $11 million for the center, which will house Mr. Rangel's papers and a conference center for programs to encourage minority students to pursue careers in public service. The center will also be linked with new undergraduate and graduate majors in public administration.</p>
An aide, Elbert Garcia, said Mr. Rangel was not available for comment late last week because he was recovering from an illness. Mr. Garcia pointed to a recent statement by Mr. Rangel about the center: "No matter how one feels about the role of government, it is clear that the future of our democracy lies in having the most talented people across all classes and racial groups to participate in public life."</p> </div>
