There’s an old saying I grew up with. My dad used to tell me, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

So, that philosophy has led me to ask for things I would like to have, or need to have, such as jobs, raises, promotions, a new chair for my office, etc. The philosophy behind the “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” mantra is you shouldn’t expect someone to simply “know” when you deserve something. You should be sure to “ask” for it.

So, when I hear all this lamenting about earmarks and whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin really is a fiscal maverick and reformer, I have to think about what she has done in her previous political jobs as mayor and as governor.

What she’s done, in my opinion, is try to respond to her constituency in a way to leverage their local tax dollars against federal tax dollars to make projects happen.

When you’re in local or state government, your budget usually has to be balanced. Not so with the federal government. Certain projects done on a local level can be leveraged against state or federal tax dollars to make them become a reality

For instance, the city of Enid is looking at designing a master trails system. This is something most members of the community say they want and need. Many consider the master trails system a quality-of-life necessity, and Enid is behind the times in not having a good one.

Trouble is, they’re expensive. So, what is the city doing? They are planning to go to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and ask for state dollars to leverage on the project. If the trails system is designed to certain specifications, they can get state money to help offset the cost of the trails. It helps the community afford a much-needed project that has the potential to help attract newcomers to Enid to work in our hospitals, our factories and in our oil companies.

From what I can tell, Palin has done what she’s supposed to do — she’s looked at projects the community (or state) need, and she’s asked for federal assistance in making them happen. Or, others have asked for the earmarks on the state’s behalf.

We do it all the time here in Enid and in Oklahoma. Just this past year, Oklahoma received more than $540 million in earmarks, some of them benefiting our area and region. Does that mean Democratic Gov. Brad Henry is a ripping off the American taxpayers because of the earmarks given to Oklahoma?

Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center has garnered about $200,000 in federal earmarks. The center received around $500,000 from the state, and the rest of the $8.3 million project is being raised privately. But, it’s a leverage of dollars to make a worthy project happen.

In northwest Oklahoma, Canton Lake and Great Salt Plains Lake also have received earmarks.

Vance Air Force Base is getting a $7.7 million fuel maintenance hangar requested by Sen. Jim Inhofe and Rep. Frank Lucas. It’s an earmark.

The “bridge to nowhere” controversy certainly has gotten a lot of national attention, but it wouldn’t have been in that omnibus bill unless the community had made a case for it and the Alaska state senator hadn’t taken up the cause.

It’s true there are excessive earmarks and there is pork barrel spending. That’s been a complaint for years. But, what’s pork to some may be a big necessity to others.

The other saying you hear is “all politics is local.” Well, if you’re in politics, you do your job based on the constituency you represent. If you’re a local representative, your responsibility is to do everything you can to help your community, and that includes finding other tax dollars to leverage against your local tax dollars.

If the taxpayers demand more structure or more rigorous standards in order to receive earmarks, fine. Let’s get that legislation going — just like our own Sen. Tom Coburn is trying to do, but he’s being bucked by both Democrats and Republicans in his efforts. If Barack Obama or John McCain want to lead the charge as president, then go for it; but, be careful what you wish for.

However, don’t criticize a local or state official for playing within the rulebook and trying to get federal dollars to leverage for local projects. They’re just doing their job.



Allen is managing editor of the Enid News & Eagle. She can be reached at (580) 548-8163 or by e-mail at editor@enidnews.com.