Second Harvest Column: Omnibus Bill Earmarks

By Lois Rockhill

Oh those earmarks! And I'm not talking about a bump on your lobe, or the lines your sunglasses make on the top of your ear. If President George W. Bush signs the Omnibus Bill this week, Second Harvest Food Bank is apt to get a $700,000 earmark.

Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia, says that "earmark is a term that dates to the 16th century, originally referring to cuts or marks in the ears of cattle and sheep made to show ownership. Today it is commonly used to refer to an institution's ability to designate funds for a specific use or owner. In U.S. politics, an earmark refers to congressional provisions that direct funds to be spent on specific projects."

In our case, Senator Richard Lugar felt that our need to relocate was urgent enough that he asked Congress to designate a million dollars of federal funds to get the job done. The Senate Appropriations Committee agreed with him and the Senate as a whole voted for it. Next it went to the House and was approved but reduced to $700,000 for reasons unknown.

The money for this earmark is coming out of the FY2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. This bill and ten others were all rolled into one $555 billion omnibus appropriations bill in an effort to fund the government in 2008. Congress passed it on Dec 17, 18, and 19.

On December 20 President Bush congratulated Congress for their progress but said he wanted to see if earmarks could be removed before he signed the bill. With that in mind he signed a stop-gap spending bill last Friday to keep the government running until his folks could take another look at this 1,600 page document. The word is that it is unlikely that earmarks will be removed but we won't know anything until after December 31.

If we do get an appropriation, our renovations at our Delaware County site will leap forward. We may get out of those construction trailer offices we are renting, re-roof building #2, get the pot holes out of our road system and cover the peeling paint on the exterior buildings.

I know there are strong feelings for and against earmarks. Hoosiers should be pleased that Senator Lugar takes these special appropriations seriously and expects accountability. He visited us in our Anderson location and keeps close tabs on the nine regional food banks throughout the state. He supports our anti-hunger work at every opportunity. Although we are not government entities, tapping some government resources to help us get food to Hoosiers in need makes sense.

If the news is not good about the earmark, if President Bush finds a way to strip the Omnibus Bill of the attached earmarks, all will not be lost. We have already had enormously generous support from East Central Indiana and know there is more to come. The Community Foundations in our region have donated more than $100,000 toward capital, endowment and increased program costs and they aren't done yet!

The Ball Brothers Foundation made a $300,000 grant and the George and Frances Ball Foundation pledged $100,000. There have been many gifts and pledges that have excited us not only in their importance in meeting the need, but in their confirmation and encouragement.

It's a big job moving a business. It's expensive and it takes a lot of time and energy. We would not have done it if the condition of our Anderson facility hadn't forced our hand. But, what a great warehouse we found and what wonderful opportunities are coming our way. Our huge warehouse, freezer and refrigerator are filling up with a great selection of food items.

Our staunch friends at Prairie Farms in Anderson, Marsh perishable warehouse in Yorktown, Wal-Mart distribution center in Gas City and Meridian Foods in Eaton, to name a few, are providing a great variety of nutritious products. Our network of 130 pantries and meal programs in East Central Indiana are getting more food to help the 63,900 people who pass through their doors each year.

Mr.. President, if you sign that bill please be assured that this is one earmark that will work for the good of many thousands of people in East Central Indiana.

Lois Rockhill is Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, Inc.

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