Tempest Over A Teapot Museum

(CBS)  Earmarks are local pet projects that members of Congress slip into spending bills, often under the public radar screen. CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson will be investigating some of those earmarks in Eye on Your Money.

---

It might sound far-fetched that a quirky collection of teapots would draw 60,000 tourists each year to Sparta, N.C., population 18,000. But the plan is being financed by your tax dollars.

The Sparta Teapot Museum is the brainchild of avid teapot collectors Sonny and Gloria Kamm and North Carolina philanthropist Philip Hanes — as in Hanes underwear.

"Why can't there be a teapot hall of fame?" asked Sonny Kamm. "And we said, 'why not!'"

Sparta Town Manager Bryan Edwards admits it's something of a gamble.

When asked whether he thinks this teapot museum would really make a difference to the economy here, the mayor said, "That's hard to say. Clearly it's speculative; there are risks involved. We don't have a track record."

But with the help of a few good Washington lobbyists, the Sparta Teapot Museum has gotten $400,000 in state funds and $500,000 from Congress.

It's nothing against teapots or the dream. Maybe tens of thousands of teapot-seeking tourists will flock into Sparta and spend millions of dollars. But the question is this: Why should your federal tax dollars be used for this local project?

Attkisson asked Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who, with Sen. Richard Burr, got the Teapot Museum its money. They also received several thousand dollars in campaign contributions from the project's lobbyists.

Foxx told us she's simply claiming a share of the money Congress sets aside each year for such purposes, called "earmarks."

"The money's gonna be spent, and it's up to us to again be advocates for our areas to try to help with those areas," Foxx said.

They say the money is there, why shouldn't we have a piece of it — so what's wrong with that?

"That is exactly the kind of attitude that got us $29 billion in pork in 2006," said Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste.

That's right, $29 billion worth of race-car research, something called the Cattle Congress — and teapot museums.

"I don't see how a teapot museum is a national priority, under any circumstances," Paige said.

Some of the teapots are on display downtown until the museum is built next year. An hour and a half from the nearest airport, it's a bit of a trip, but the folks in Sparta hope it's your next vacation destination.

They sure would appreciate your continued support.

[nancytann]

In your story on pork barrel politics, you sent a reporter to Sparta, NC. Apparently the reporter was most impressed with the traveling distance from the closest airport to the museum. What was NOT reported is that the museum is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, where many thousands of visitors from all states travel each year, often enroute to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country.

One-third of the residents in this little mountain town are unemployed and are looking to this museum to create all kinds of jobs. I have seen a sampling of the traveling exhibition at the N.C. Museum of Art and I can't wait to go see the completed exhibition. The collector, from California, has been searching for a well traveled site and settled on this town. The museum will benefit everyone traveling the Parkway, which is mainly non-North Carolinians.

It was shoddy reporting at best, definitely not the careful and incisive stories that the CBS Evening News used to carry.

[freckster]

To pjhmga BS!

Give me a break! Why should anyone outside of Sparta or NC pay for this extravagance. If there is such a demand - commercial interests would pursue the opportunity. The mayor admits it's a ***-shoot. Sure, as long as someone else is paying for it, why not?!

That's the problem right there! If it fails then the mayor and all get to keep their jobs because they didn't waste local money on the folly. No accountability!

The money would be better spent on other things. For instance energy efficiency incentives. It helps the local, regional and national economy. Encourage people to replace old appliances with EnergyStar appliances (retailers, manufacturers & state sales tax coffers all benefit); recycle the steel, lower energy demand, and lower energy costs. Encourage (through rebates or tax benefits) people to conserve water with low flow toilets, efficient water use appliances and flow restrictors (retailers, manufacturers, state sales tax coffers, and municipal water/sewer systems all benefit).

The bridge to nowhere (Alaska), The Lawrence Welk Museum, now this. It's got to stop.

[hypnotoad72]

I love it when 'tax authorities' talk of stuff like this.

When will they get to 'government subsidies' (aka 'corporate welfare to large corporations') as that seems a conflict of interest with the phrase "pulling one's self up by one's own bootstraps"?

[hermit22]

why does ONE PERSON who apparently makes 15 MILLION dollars for reading the news have the
gall to complain on that news about a TOWN that gets UNDER 1 million for a peaceful project that hopefully will draw people to come to their town for perhaps the next century?

what really galls me
is going to the store and no matter what i buy
i am forced to give a cut to some fool or floozie on t.v. because of the "advertizing dollar". i've lost my appetite for hambergers because some tv ad paris hilton wannabe is pouting up a storm and rolling her big bare ham around on the floor....eyuck.

[cantshutup]

Seems like $900,000 could have been used to provide healthcare or job training...guess everyone in Sparta, NC has everything they need...no one living in poverty there huh? enjoy the museum...it'll probably keep bellies full...

[bwright923]

Its odd, one person's pork is another persons project to add civic value to their community. Thoes people sent Virginia Foxx to represent them and pull what federal funds she can their way. Sounds like she is doing just that.