Odds and ends, 2/4/08

In October 1998, Marshall University had a dedication ceremony for its new John Deaver Drinko Library. On hand was John Deaver Drinko, who contributed $2.3 million toward the $31 million project.

I wasn't there, but I looked up the article in our archives to see what happened that day.

According to the archived article, pretty much refused to take credit or receive public adulation for his gift of $2.3 million toward the $31 million library project.

“I’m only the representative of the 2,265 people who have contributed to this growth,” he said.

When I read of things like that and of other donors -- those who earn money and donate it with little fanfare -- I have to think of our senior U.S. senator.

Yesterday afternoon, while we were driving around town, my 15-year-old daughter asked why Robert C. Byrd's name is on so many things. I tried to explain tht Byrd is like a lot of politicians in that he uses taxpayer money to get his name on things so we will all think we need him.

It's a great game, isn't it? Byrd and others use our money and stick their names on the things it provides.

Back in the 1960s, I think it was, I read a MAD Magazine article that suggested the government put all our money into little cookie jars. As it is spent, we can know who paid for what. As soon as we work out a computer program sophisticated enough to do it, I'm all for it.

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For those who wonder what might happen if people ever got to vote on a user fee such as the one in Huntington:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Monongalia County voters have overwhelmingly rejected a monthly service fee supporters said would have been used for transportation projects throughout the county.

County residents voted 11,048 to 2,542 on Saturday against the $2-a-week fee. The fee would have been charged to people working in the county. The measure lost in all of the county’s 72 precincts.

If the fee had passed it would have raised about $150 million over the next 30 years. The money would have gone for 18 projects, including a Morgantown bypass.

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This sounds good, until .... (see comments after the AP article).

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The U.S. Corps of Engineers is taking a new look at the Mississippi River.

Long managed for flood control and navigation, a new study of the river will look at things like preserving habitat for wildlife and access to the river for recreation.

Officials say the two year, $500,000 study reflects a newfound appreciation for the river, which is one of the most productive freshwater ecosystems in the world.

The study will look at 954 miles of river, from the mouth of the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as 2.7 million acres of floodplain.The study could lead to improved public access to the river and the restoration of side channels that are vital to fish and wildlife.

Now, from the Aug. 3, 2000, issue of The Herald-Dispatch:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on the draft study of a proposed habitat restoration project on the Ohio River.

The corps released the study Thursday. The Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Program would try to restore side channels, islands, gravel spawning beds, floodplain forests and wetlands without interfering with commercial navigation or other traditional river uses.

The report addresses the need for a specific Ohio River authorization and describes various alternatives and ecosystem objectives, non-federal cost-sharing requirements, implementation plans and recommendations.

And from The Herald-Dispatch on Nov. 4, 2000, by yours truly:

The dams on the Ohio River were built over the past 100 years to provide a continuous supply of water year-round to support commerce. In the process, they have converted a shallow, free-flowing river into a series of long, slow-moving lakes. That has meant death to a number of animals and plants that once lived in and along the river.

The Corps says modern land-use practices along the Ohio have contributed to a relative lack of biological diversity, but mussel expert Ralph Taylor says the dams were the main culprit.

"When you take a free-flowing river and turn it into a series of lakes, it changes the biota. If they're able to spend some money and re-create some habitat types that were destroyed by the dams, it's a worthy effort," said Taylor, a professor of biological sciences at Marshall.

"The other side of that is, do you want to pay $4 for a pound of salt and $4 or $5 for a loaf of bread, because all the wheat in this country is moved by barge."

There's a good chance the study of the Lower Miss will be funded. Studies are cheap. Action is hard. The Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Project was conceived during the Clinton administration and forgotten by Bush 43. Unless some powerful or vocal lobby starts clamoring for a restoration of sensitive environmental areas damaged by the dams, the Ohio's ecosystem restoration will continue to be forgotten.

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One more item about Robert C. Byrd:

I received a news release today from Byrd's office. It looks like President Bush has no urgency to continue something bearing the senator's name. I give you the Byrd news release in its entirety:

Byrd Denounces President’s Plan to Cut Funding for Byrd Honors Scholarships
Washington, D.C.....U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today commented on President Bush’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget which cancels funding for the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship program:
“The President has slammed the door to a college education in the faces of young Americans. This is the President who calls for leaving no child behind, but has no problem eliminating a program that helps make the dream of attending college a reality for some of our nation’s most outstanding students.
“Byrd Scholarship winners are selected for their hard work and education. The potential of these young men and women should not be short changed. This President pays lip service to the importance of education and its impact on the future of our state and nation, but he will not invest the resources to back up his rhetoric.”

History of the Byrd Honors Scholarships:
The Byrd Scholarships, awarded to students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, were established by Congress in 1986 through legislation authored by Byrd. The program was later named in his honor.
Originally, the program awarded one-year, $1,500 scholarships to students who demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and who have been accepted for enrollment at an institution of higher learning. In 1993, the program was expanded to provide 4-year scholarships. Under the revised program, students who receive the first-year scholarships are eligible to continue to apply for stipends for the following three years.

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NEW YORK (AP) -- A burglar posing as a construction worker made away with about $100,000 worth of jewelry and electronics in a broad-daylight heist at Leslie Stahl's apartment, police said Friday.

The dude would have to make several trips to my house over a period of several years to haul away $100,000 worth of stuff.

hat's all. See you tomorrow.