news story / By Ryan Burns

Bring on the Bacon

Humboldt County in line for $44 million from Rep. Thompson earmark requests

(April 9, 2009)  Was there a dirtier word in politics this past year than “earmarks”? (Scrabble rules — “Bush” doesn’t qualify.) During the 2008 presidential campaign the term was used indignantly to describe the sneakiest, most sinister money-grabbing device employed by greedy politicians — a loophole sin on par with golden parachutes. Counter-arguments — that earmarks represent a small fraction of the overall budget, that they’re often the only way to get federal funding for much-needed local-level infrastructure — were banished to the margins of public discourse.

Responding to populist outrage on the issue, President Obama established new guidelines requiring members of Congress to publicly list their appropriations requests (the official term for earmarks). Over the weekend, Congressional aides scrambled to submit their bosses’ Fiscal Year 2010 wish lists by Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline. Judging from the dollar amount, the public scrutiny doesn’t make First District Rep. Mike Thompson the least bit sheepish.

In a brief statement accompanying his nearly $400 million list of requests, Thompson defiantly championed the appropriations process. “As economic conditions become more difficult,” he wrote, “it is more important than ever that cities and counties get help for public projects that rebuild our roads and bridges, invest in research to protect our agricultural economy, provide flood protection, protect our environment, and rebuild our hospitals and health clinics.” Of the $1.2 billion in requests he received, Thompson insisted that the $395 million-worth that made the cut represent “only the ones that are most critical to our district.”

Humboldt County — just one of seven counties falling at least partially within Thompson’s tall, skinny district — got more than $44 million in direct and indirect love from Thompson, including requests for salmon restoration, the Yurok and Hoopa tribes, wastewater treatment projects and $6 million to turn the decommissioned Centerville Naval Facility into low-income housing. Not included, notably, were any requests pertaining to the Humboldt Bay Harbor District or the North Coast Rail Authority. (Both the Harbor District and the NCRA may yet receive stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.)

Another new requirement under Obama is that earmark requests for any for-profit company be open to competitive bidding. Thompson’s not even going there: All of his submitted requests come from public entities and non-profits, and some of the biggest price tags are salmon-related. (Biggest up here, at any rate. His single largest proposal — to complete a massive flood-control project on the Napa River — was for $92 mil.) Among the salmon solicitations is a $10 million appeal on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund the Salmon Stronghold Partnership Program, which aims to protect and restore salmon habitat by focusing conservation efforts on “salmon strongholds” — those watersheds most likely to affect survival of the beleaguered fish.

Take the Klamath River salmon, beset in recent years by a parasite called Ceratomyxa shasta, which has lead to declining salmon runs. If granted, a $1.5 million request for U.C. Davis would fund more research on the nasty bugger. Another $4.5 million for Davis would finance a review of existing hatchery operations on the North Coast and Central Valley.

But, wait — we’re talking about Klamath salmon here. Why doesn’t HSU get that money instead of Davis? Perhaps because HSU lacks an adequate marine science center. A $413,000 request from Thompson would finance a feasibility study for HSU’s proposed North Coast Salmon and Marine Science Center, an outreach and educational facility that would house researchers from across the country. “The objective would be to gather a lot more information about how flows of fresh water, sediments and nutrients into the Pacific littoral are affecting the life, even the survival, of fish stocks,” HSU spokesman Paul Mann said in an e-mail to the Journal. He added that the center won’t be built unless the study finds that it is indeed feasible.

Moving down the list we see a $5 million proposal on behalf of Caltrans for HP3. “It stands for Humboldt People Powered Pathways,” explained Jennifer Rice, co-director of the Natural Resource Services Division of the Redwood Community Action Agency. HP3 advocates non-motorized transportation and is working to enhance local pathways like the Hammond Trail and the proposed Annie and Mary Trail from Arcata to Blue Lake. Rice called the group’s inclusion on Thompson’s list “a pleasant surprise” and said the money would be used to remove and replace the Hammond Trail bridge. “It seems like a good, stable structure,” she said. “It’s really not.” The heavily corroded bridge is leaking toxic heavy metals into the water below, she said, and flakes debris with just one whack from a ball peen hammer. The group’s grand vision is a well-maintained trail system connecting McKinleyville, Blue Lake, Arcata and Eureka.

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