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Years ago, I had the pleasure of covering the dedication of a new, $17-million bridge spanning the Missouri River east of Niobrara.
The bridge was named after Chief Standing Bear, whose people, the Poncas, once ruled over that area of northeast Nebraska.
Standing Bear, known for winning a federal judge’s declaration that Native Americans were “persons” under the law, is buried nearby.
But the structure, and another bridge built farther east across the Missouri, were dubbed the “Bridges to Nowhere” by none other than TV news anchorman Tom Brokaw, who grew up along the river in Yankton.
It was a waste of money, Brokaw declared, in his program, “The Fleecing of America.”
The featured speaker at the 1998 dedication of the Standing Bear Bridge -- held atop a high bluff with an amazing view of the river valley -- was then South Dakota Gov. Bill “Wild Bill” Janklow, a political legend who spoke his mind (as opposed to a lot of today’s politicians whose comments are tightly scripted and designed to avoid saying anything that might remotely be discerned as controversial).
Anyway, Janklow spoke his mind that day, saying aptly that while the bridge might represent “political pork barrel, it’s our pork barrel.” South Dakotans and Nebraskans just across the river from the bridge all paid their taxes to Washington, D.C., and it was nice to see some of those hard-earned tax payments come back home for a bridge long sought by the two states, he said.
Which brings us to Gov. Jim Pillen, who wants state agencies to put the “pedal to the metal,” according to the Nebraska Examiner, to seek more federal funds for Nebraska programs.
That seems like quite an about-face by state officials, who, in the past, have rejected federal money to expand Medicaid and to provide rental assistance to folks impacted by the pandemic. Lately, our elected officials have spent more time criticizing what’s happening in Washington, and filing lawsuits to prevent federal programs and initiatives.
But Pillen is right when he says Nebraska deserves to get all of the federal funding due them -- funding that could help balance the state budget or help reduce property taxes.
Nebraska traditionally has ranked among the lowest states in its take from the federal treasury. A 2021 analysis by website, USA Facts, said the Cornhusker State received $3,463 per person that year from Washington. That was almost half as much as residents neighboring Wyoming received per capita, which was $6,718.
Two years ago, Pillen said he was “appalled” to learn Nebraska was next to last in its per-capita federal allowance. That news came from a crafty governor in Oklahoma, who had hired a lobbyist in D.C. to boost federal funding for the Sooner State.
Ok, ok, so Pillen was the governor who said he didn’t believe in “welfare” a few months back. (I’m sure he was referring to the traditional forms of government assistance, such as food stamps and Aid to Dependent Children, rather than things like the $25-million federal grant he and some fellow hog farmers received to add a second shift at their pork-processing plant in Fremont.)
But the governor has evolved his thinking about taking federal money.
In February, he changed his mind about rejecting millions in federal funds for a program that provided an additional $40 a month to low-income families to purchase groceries. The state health department said that move resulted in getting additional food to nearly 200,000 students, from nearly 122,000 families.
That seems like the kind of “winwin” politicians talk about. More food, paid by federal dollars.
Here’s hoping that more win-wins will result from seeking out, and taking, more federal funding.
After all, it’s our pork barrel.
Paul Hammel has covered state government for decades. He retired in April from the Nebraska Examiner.
