Charlie Smith, the Commonwealth’s news editor and staff cynic, observed last week that Itta Bena might not have a grocery store, but it seems to be on a high-pork diet.
It’s not just Itta Bena but much of the Delta that has been awash in political pork in recent weeks. This can only mean one thing: U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson is up for re-election again.
Thompson, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Bill Marcy in next Tuesday’s general election. There doesn’t appear to be any doubt that Thompson will be elected to his ninth full term. The only question: How badly will he trounce Marcy?
Thompson has a huge edge in campaign cash. According to his most recent campaign finance report, Thompson has raised nearly $1.6 million. Marcy has raised a measly $39,466. The Republican might be the darling of 2nd District tea party members, but the Republicans appear unwilling to waste their money on Marcy’s doomed challenge.
That $1.6 million is miniscule next to an even larger pool of money Thompson can tap into: federal tax dollars. He’s been spreading the wealth recently.
He has announced millions in federal grants and funding for projects in the Delta and elsewhere around the 2nd Congressional District. These include:
• $2.3 million to build a new control tower at Greenwood-Leflore Airport
• $430,000 to build a new City Hall in Itta Bena
• Two grants totaling more than $1.4 million for Mississippi Valley State University
• $200,000 and an accompanying loan of $2 million to build a new North Central Planning and Development District building in Winona
• $710,900 to develop a community revitalization plan in Coahoma County
• $63.9 million to the Mississippi Home Corporation for foreclosure prevention assistance
• $1.1 million to build a new road to the Delta State University athletic facilities from Mississippi 8
That’s just a portion of the money Thompson has funneled to the 2nd District recently. This is nothing new for our congressman. Thompson, like many of his colleagues in the U.S. House and Senate, turns on the money tap around election time.
Most congressmen call these pet projects like Thompson’s “earmarks.” Many other people call them “political pork.”
Congress doled out about $16 billion in earmarks in the 2010 budget, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. That was about one-half of 1 percent of the $3.5 million federal budget.
Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but a billion here, a billion there and after a while it adds up to real money.
Many voters seem to be angry this year. They are aggravated by a sagging economy and a soaring federal deficit. They blame their representatives in Congress. Some politicians sense that it’s the wrong time to be bragging about the money their spending.
AP reported: “Instead, more and more candidates — mostly but not exclusively Republicans — are swearing off earmarks, complaining about out-of-control spending and vowing not to be co-opted by the go-along/get-along culture on Capitol Hill.”
Thompson is not apologizing for anything. He told a gathering of Leflore County Democrats last week that earmarks are only bad if you don’t get them.
“This notion that taxes somehow are bad — you have to run government, you know, and everything that we do, it requires government participation,” Thompson said.
All of this “government participation” is what’s riling up many voters. Fortunately for Thompson, few of those voters seem to live in the 2nd District.
An unapologetic Thompson keeps bringing home the bacon. He also keeps hogging the votes at election time. A high-pork diet is working for him.
• Contact Charles Corder at ccorder@gwcommonwealth.com.
