McGovern Proud of $7.3 Million in Earmarks for Central Massachusetts
PROJECTS
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Sarah Gantz
Boston University Washington News Service
02/26/09
WASHINGTON — Central Massachusetts may receive $7.3 million in the form of earmarks for workforce restructuring, medical research and infrastructure from the $410 billion fiscal 2009 omnibus spending package that the House passed Wednesday. The Senate will debate and vote on the bill next week.
Critics point to President Obama’s vow to pare down earmark spending and say too many pet projects were included in the omnibus bill, which will finance government operations through September. A conservative government watchdog group, the Heritage Foundation, estimated that the bill includes more than 9,000 earmarks.
“Regardless of whether an earmark itself is for a good cause, the process itself is the problem,” said Brian Riedl, senior federal budget analyst for Heritage.
Project financing should be left to local officials, Mr. Riedl said. Representatives and senators are “too far away to be making these decisions” he said.
“Understand one thing,” Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, said. “There will always be earmarks.”
But that is not a bad thing, he said. Federal earmark money is necessary to jump-start local projects that otherwise might miss out on funds from Washington, he said.
Money for nurse training at Becker College, RNA interference research at UMass Medical School and Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades in Marlborough are among the projects Mr. McGovern secured in the House version of the bill.
More than $2.5 million would be directed to local colleges and universities, to be used for research, program development and workforce preparation.
Mr. McGovern requested nearly $1 million for the RNA interference research. RNAi is a natural process that can be used to define biological functions of genes.
“This is an investment in sound medical research that could result in improving the quality of life for millions of people,” Mr. McGovern said.
Craig C. Mello, a professor at the medical school, and a colleague received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2006 for their discoveries related to RNAi.
“Any funding helps,” said James R. Fessenden, a spokesman for the medical school.
Becker College could receive as much as $540,000 to expand its nursing program and ramp up its workforce training, which Mr. McGovern said is necessary to address the shortage of nurses.
Also included in the bill is $500,000 for the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades, $475,000 for construction in the Gardner-Kilby-Hammond area, one of Worcester’s poorest neighborhoods, and $475,000 for Holy Cross-McKeon road improvements in Worcester.
Mr. McGovern’s list of projects also includes $1.4 million for Aspen Aerogels, a Northborough-based company that manufactures energy-efficient insulation.
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