In a thorough article in today's Springfield News-Leader, political reporter Chad Livengood explores the earmark issue:
The first line-item appropriation from 2008 was $2 million for a storm shelter at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin that still hasn't been constructed. Nodler is widely credited for the storm shelter, which may eventually dual as an athletics locker room.
Nodler's fingerprints weren't directly on this line-item funding because former Gov. Matt Blunt added it to his original budget request.
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But then Nodler admits that he asked Blunt's office to put the funding request into their 2009 fiscal year budget.
"The reality is, that line item was requested by the governor," Nodler said. "It's not something I created and inserted in the budget."
Perhaps the senator should reconsider Congress and take a shot at Dancing with the Stars.
I've always wondered why Nodler has been so silent on MSSU University President Dr. Bruce Speck wasting $400,000 on the storm shelter, which still hasn't been built two years later. Why was the $400,000 squandered, and why hasn't it been built?
ReplyDeleteWhat a cynical politician Nodler is. Do you think we are going to believe your CYA stories about "the governor put it in" or "it was Pierce's project and I just taggged along"?
ReplyDeleteWe know better than that. You are nothing but another deceitful politician and we are not going to send you to DC.
You problem was that your pals and co-conspirators at MSSU, Bruce and Dwighty-dough, are total incompetents who can only ruin organizations. No storm shelter yet (and never will be) but 400,000 hard-earned, taxpayers dollars, were sent down the drain by Bruce, Douglas and the MSSU football coach for a project that will not happen.
The law should seek an accounting from Senator Nodler on this one. And if the legal system does not, we the voters should make sure we don't send another deceitful politician to Washington.
The issue here is earmarks. Nodler does not claim that he was not involved in getting the funding on either of these items. The fact is the funding was obtained through the normal appropriation process and neither of these itmes were added to the budget by Nodler in an "earmark". It is so funny to watch those who want to be critical of Nodler try to twist things. Yes Nodler played a key role in these appropriations. Yes Nodler supported them. No he did not add them to the budget, and no they are not "earmarks". The fact is also that the state of Missouri ended the budget years these to appropriations were in with the largest unspent fund balance in the state's history. Nodler has succeeded in crafting balanced state budgets with no tax increase while representing the interests of his district.
ReplyDeleteSo, Gary, you gave your side of the story. Let the people judge your answer.
ReplyDeleteNow, give an explanation of what has happened to this project, to the $400,000, and to the rest of the 2 million you "earmarked" (or whatever you choose to call it) for the MSSU stadium