Federal legislators representing Michigan--including Grand Rapids area Representative Vern Ehlers and Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow--have brought in millions of dollars into Michigan in largely unexamined "earmarks" in recent federal appropriations bills.
Through earmarks--which are inserted into bills, committee reports, and conference reports--legislators are able to secure federal money for a recipient (private companies, universities, nonprofits, local or state governments) or projects (building roads or purchasing land). While in the past the sponsors of earmarks were not disclosed (they now are), the sheer number of earmarks included in bills--the recent fiscal 2008 defense and Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bills included more than 3,000--mean that they are often passed with no debate in Congress or in the media.
In order to add more accountability to the process, the Sunlight Foundation and Taxpayers for Common Sense have launched a new online project called Earmark Watch that allows citizens to research earmarks secured by their members of Congress. According to the site, Michigan's federal representatives secured more than $8.7 million in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill and almost $109 million in the Defense appropriations bill. In the Senate, Michigan's two Senators secured $4 million in the Department of Labor, health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.
Locally, Representative Ehlers secured a $4 million earmark for Smiths Aerospace in the Defense appropriations bill, giving the company money to develop a "Micro-munitions Interface for Tactical Unmanned Systems." In the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill, Ehlers secured three earmarks totaling $450,000 for new equipment at Cherry Street Health Services, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, and St. Mary's Health Care. Unfortunately, there is no information included about the specific benefits of any of these projects, nor does Ehlers explain why they were chosen.
