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* Tom Kacich in the Champaign News-Gazette…
The city of Champaign stands to get $850,000 for capital improvements in the Garden Hills neighborhood. Danville is likely to get $850,000 to help revitalize the Madison neighborhood west of downtown. Rantoul is looking at receiving $540,000 for upgrades to its youth center on the old Chanute Air Force Base. And Bloomington is in line for a $2 million grant to improve a road and spur development on its southeast side.
All of these are so-called “community project funding” ideas — formerly known as earmarks — submitted by downstate members of Congress and approved by the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee. A final vote on these and billions in other projects nationwide is expected this fall when the federal budget is considered.
But those in the 15th Congressional District represented by Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, are shut out again. No community-project-funding dollars are going to any part of the huge area — more than a third of the state — in Miller’s district. As a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Miller pledged to oppose community project funding, earmarks or any other euphemism for what has long been known as pork-barrel spending.
Fine, but what good is it to your constituents if everyone else is getting dinner and you’re not, but you’re still helping pay the bill? Even several of Miller’s fellow Freedom Caucusers, including Reps. Matt Goetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, have reversed course and are lining up for a helping of local spending projects. The practice is as old as the republic, and it’s been practiced by most presidents, including two GOP favorites, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump did it too.
Adams County Republican Central Committee Chairman Dave Bockhold also supported [Rodney] Davis over Miller and he sent an e-mail to party faithful this week that linked a Tom Kacich column in the Champaign News-Gazette that called out Miller for not bringing home the 15th District’s share of tax dollars.
“I think everyone in our 15th Congressional District should read this article from the Champaign News-Gazette,” Bockhold wrote. “I agree with Congresswoman Miller on social issues, but we are getting absolutely no return on investment on the tax dollars that we send to Washington, D.C. There are many projects in our area and across the district that could possibly be funded, but won’t even be considered for potential funding without our representative advocating for it in Congress. I think Congresswoman Miller could take some lessons from Darin LaHood and Mike Bost.” […]
It will be interesting to see how Bockhold’s remarks will play amongst his fellow Adams County committeemen and the party in general, especially at the GOP’s weekly Monday morning coffee klatch at Quincy’s American Legion hall.
Stay tuned.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 8:29 am
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As bad as she is at her job, Mary Miller is only part of the problem. Total disregard for doing the actual job is a feature, not a bug, for all IL Freedom Caucus members. They literally don’t care. A negative article in the Champaign paper calling them weak, lazy, and ineffective is a badge of honor, not a wake up call as it would be for any other Representative that cared at all for the people they are supposed to serve.
Comment by Trap Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 8:37 am
Rep. Miller, I strongly suggest you stick to your guns on this (figuratively and literally) and not take any federal money for your district. Keep the federal government out of local projects. You don’t want to make folks dependent on the federal government. That is precisely what the woke mob wants you to do. Stand strong!
More resources for the rest of us.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 8:47 am
Trap is spot on. Miller is a disaster
Comment by Tired Teacher Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 8:48 am
Running on nothing but fear and hate and eliminating the government may get you elected to that $174,000/year government job you want so badly and put you on the teevee, but the approach falls a bit short when the bridge in town collapses or a tornado hits.
Of course folks like Miller are not in this for the long game.
Comment by Roadrager Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 8:49 am
People voted for her for her rhetoric. No one thought about if she could (or would) work for the district or not. Work matters as much as words. The district forgot about that.
Comment by Appears Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:00 am
And yet, she rides the “coattails” of programs like this-
https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/usda-rd-reap-chart-08302023.pdf
You would think she would find this hypocritical and demand on the House floor that her name be stricken from each and every press release like this because she is against all this “free money” being doled out to her constituents.
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:02 am
If her district needs things they should contact the “Socialist Democrat Party” senators, Durbin and Duckworth, amirite.
You want better?
Beat her.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:06 am
If the improvements were sponsored under the former grifter in chief, would she support them? Or is she against improvements in her district 100% irrespective of who gets them through?
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:25 am
Miller is a fiscal conservative, she has a focus on the real problem of federal spending. Eschewing earmarks is a concrete example of her having the courage of her conviction …
“The federal budget deficit is expected to balloon to about $2 trillion for fiscal year 2023, roughly double what it was in the previous fiscal year, according to a government watchdog group”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/06/politics/federal-budget-deficit/index.html#:~:text=The%20US%20Treasury%20Department%20lists,the%20cancellation%20of%20Biden’s%20initiative.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:26 am
Haha, OneMan gets it.
Keep those evil federal dollars away! lol
Comment by 33rd ward Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:28 am
As someone with work across Central IL and in her district, can say her purposeful lack of support in this space is becoming commonplace discussion
Comment by Central Illinois Centrist Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:31 am
Coming soon to the 12th if primary voters are not careful
Comment by Holding Back Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 9:49 am
You voted for her, 15th District, including choosing her over Rodney Davis in the primary. Enjoy.
Comment by Nick Name Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 10:15 am
A preview of how a Rep. Bailey will govern.
Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 10:17 am
This is what happens when the GOP has no choice but to face the hypocrisy that is the cornerstone of their party.
“Taxes bad. Where’s our share of the pie?”
Comment by Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 10:43 am
There are little things in life that continually give me a chuckle or bring a smile to my face. (R-No Relation) is one of them.
To the post, to me IL-15 was gerrymandered as a safe red district for Davis to keep him out of the governor’s race. And it was a win-win for Davis, stay out of an expensive statewide race and return to Congress where a Republican majority would put Davis in line a committee chair like Transportation and Infrastructure. Davis was skilled at bringing Federal dollars back home.
But, you know, MAGA. smh
Davis’s loss was not only a loss for IL-15. It was a loss for Illinois.
Comment by Padraig Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 10:46 am
“Beat her.”
Many us tried.
Comment by Skeptic Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 11:09 am
Funny how her fiscal conservatism/radicalism stops when it come to her own farm subsidies. Same song, different singer, also applies to Bailey. Miller is an embarrassment to our district. She is literally causing local taxes to climb by refusing federal monies.
Comment by Stormsw7706 Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 11:55 am
Mary Miller is not leaving, she won’t be beaten.
If the residents of the district cared about bringing home money, maybe she’d lose but she’d really just cry about trillions in deficit and what the bill is going to be left to her grandchildren etc etc.
Illinois on the whole is a donor state. We get back less than we pay into the system, she’s just making it worse.
Truthfully Bailey will be the same for the district but he’ll grab what he can personally for the farm and the school.
Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 11:55 am
A rare show of integrity. Nice job, Mary. Stick it to em. /s
Comment by Politix Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:05 pm
Thank goodness she’s districted out of Danville. That town needs the support this grant would provide.
Comment by tall one Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:31 pm
=No community-project-funding dollars are going to any part of the huge area — more than a third of the state — in Miller’s district. As a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Miller pledged to oppose community project funding, earmarks =
“If we fund those projects how will we pay for farm subsidies?” Mary Miller…maybe.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:34 pm
===Eschewing earmarks is a concrete example of her having the courage of her conviction===
Eschewing farm subsidies would actually be more convincing.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:36 pm
Eschewing farm subsidies would actually be more convincing.
Like in most endeavors, best to start with the low-hanging fruit. I still give her credit for nixing the earmarks.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:50 pm
For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would vote for her after she has done exactly nothing for her district in her entire time in office. Unfortunately, as long as she has the R by her name, she’ll keep getting elected.
Comment by Lagartha's Shield Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 12:50 pm
===best to start with the low-hanging fruit===
I meant personally.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 1:04 pm
==No community-project-funding dollars are going to any part of the huge area — more than a third of the state — in Miller’s district.==
It’s really on-brand. Next year, she will complain about how DC “ignores the area” and go on to explain that she is busy “fighting for the district.” It would be hard to say the district is ignored if Federal funds are being used to help communities in the area address crucial needs. A lack of Federal projects is a feature, not a bug.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 1:40 pm
==Like in most endeavors, best to start with the low-hanging fruit. I still give her credit for nixing the earmarks. ==
LOL She did not “nix” the federal funds going into her family’s wallet. She could do that very easily by not asking for the handout (AKA “farm subsidy”).
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 1:43 pm
The campaign spots write themselves: “…funding for day care so you can go to work? She voted against it. Repairing your local roads? She was against it. Money to fix your local water service? Nope. Senior citizen assistance? Against it… etc etc etc , and now you know what Miller is *against*, don’t you wonder what she’s *for* anything but… Mary Miller???”
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 2:07 pm
Mail piece - Miller sitting on a throne with Pelosi, taking a bag of money for her farm subsidy. while her golden boot kicks poor, white downstate low-income folks off of crumbling bridges into the abyss.
Mary Miller and her husband cozy up to their liberal elite friends to steal your tax money for themselves, over $250k in salary alone, and massive dollars in free farm money but won’t save the working families of our district
Show a white rural family with their 2005 pick up 3-4 kids and then show Mary and Chris with their brand new taxpayer-funded truck.
Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 2:29 pm
People in Mary Miller’s district can thank a former IL Farm Bureau president. For starting a trend away from Rodney Davis. Because Davis questioned Miller’s farm subsidies while she hypocritically called for reduced federal spending everywhere else.
So the farmers rose up so they could keep on getting theirs.
And you know what?
They could care less if you get yours, Mr. GOP Chairman.
Comment by Medvale School for the Gifted Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 4:13 pm
=== Mail piece - Miller sitting on a throne with Pelosi, taking a bag of money for her farm subsidy. while her golden boot kicks poor, white downstate low-income folks off of crumbling bridges into the abyss.
Mary Miller and her husband cozy up to their liberal elite friends to steal your tax money for themselves, over $250k in salary alone, and massive dollars in free farm money but won’t save the working families of our district
Show a white rural family with their 2005 pick up 3-4 kids and then show Mary and Chris with their brand new taxpayer-funded truck.===
The voters don’t care. The cult wants what it wants.
This is a plea to rational people.
The cultists aren’t rational people.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 6:35 pm
- Donnie Elgin -
Explain the fiscal policies of Trump and the Trump Tax Cuts to the deficit, real numbers, please.
Include the debt, January 2017, to December 2020
It’s a gag, “fiscal responsibility” by Trumpkins, Mary Miller is a cultist to this thinking, and it looks like she can’t be beat at the moment.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 11, 23 @ 6:37 pm