One Byrd Gets Lion's Share Of Earmarks

Why Are So Many Of Your Tax Dollars Going To Dedicate Buildings To W.Va. Sen. Robert Byrd?

(CBS)  At age 90, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia has been in the Senate longer than anybody else. And he's spent much of that time as head of the most powerful spending committee, with extraordinary control over earmarks - grants of your tax dollars without the normal public review, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports for Follow the Money.

Byrd was the first senator to rack up a total of $1 billion in earmarks for his home state.

That was in 1999. Today he's past the $3 billion mark.

In his famously colorful Senate speeches, Byrd has repeatedly defended his earmarks.

"Hear me!! Some members have asserted that all, all, all earmarked funding is wasteful spending or an abuse of power," Byrd said. "Hogwash!"

And though tradition frowns on sitting members of Congress funding projects in their own name, they don't seem to have a problem with it in Byrd Country. West Virginia is full of ventures paid for with your tax dollars but named after him.

You can take the Robert C. Byrd Highway to the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam, explore space through the Robert C. Byrd Telescope, and work at the Robert C. Byrd Hilltop Office Complex.

In all, we found more than 40 projects bearing the Byrd name. Many of them sound perfectly reasonable, but the problem is other needy communities never get a crack at the money.

"He's unabashedly unapologetic about his earmarking," said watchdog Leslie Paige, who calls the earmarks "Byrd droppings."

"It's always been 'to the victor goes the spoils' with these earmarks," said Paige, who works for Citizens Against Government Waste. "Which means if you've got a member who sits on a powerful committee, you're gonna get the lion's share of that money."

But it's made Byrd a hero back home.

"Yeah man, you're lookin' at Big Daddy. Big Daddy!"

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Read more about Byrd's pet projects at Couric & Co.

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That's Byrd at the opening of the Robert C. Byrd Biotech Center, to which he generously gave $35.6 million of your tax dollars.

"Our effort to construct this facility and create a stronger foundation for the biotech industry here in West Virginia began where? With a visit to my office. Yeah. Yeah man," Byrd said. "A visit to my office, yeah."

Byrd wouldn't agree to an interview with CBS News.

His five decades in office have been money in the bank for West Virginians. So much so, they might consider some sort of monument in Byrd's name.

Except there are already so many.

[senatorbyrd]

CBS wastes time ''reporting'' that Senator Byrd spent $3Billion in West Virginia since 1991. God forbid the money was spent on West Virginians -- Americans. The Citizens Against Government Waste goes after spending on Americans, but IGNORES $2Billion we waste each week in Iraq. In a week and a half in Iraq we waste more taxpayer dollars than Byrd has sent to West Virginia in 16 years! $3.6Million per week on Americans in WV vs $2Billion per week in Iraq! While Senator Byrd spends money on WV, he voted against the war in Iraq - an enourmous waste of taxpayer dollars. CBS - get with the program!! Sharyl Attkisson - do you want to follow the Follow the Money? Start reporting waste in Iraq for starters. Do you really want to Follow the Money? Find out exactly who traded the Put Options on American Airlines and United Airlines in the weeks before the September 11 attacks.

[macpro5-2009]

The Story on Sen. Byrd makes me ill. He''s one of the many reasons that people are so very sick of our government. Senator Byrd is the poster child for term limits!

[macpro5-2009]

The Story on Sen. Byrd makes me ill. He''s one of the many reasons that people are so very sick of our government. Senator Byrd is the poster child for term limits!

[cbs_oliver]

Sen. Byrd has done more good for ordinary Americans including those in his state than Katie Couric and all of CBS News has or will ever do.

[cbs_oliver]

Sharyl Attkisson does not seem to have a problem with 600 billion dollars spent killing about 1 million Iraqis.

Let''s see, that''s about 2,000 per man woman and child in America.

Oh, yes, she''s a fighter for monetary reform, she is.

The distain I have for her is beyond imagining.

She tried this character assassination before didn''t she?

What is she, just a one trick pony?

[rob5711]

Senator Byrd was one of the strongest opponents to and voted against the U.S. invasion of Iraq where we have wasted so much in lives and money. So, he is ok in my book.

[rob5711]

Stop attacking Sheryl Atkinson. She is fine reporter for CBS. She is not reporting on what is spent on the Iraq war. That is another story for another day. They only have time for brief reports with the time alloted to them on the CBS news program. This story was only about Byrd''s wasteful spending of taxpaper''s money.

[senatorbyrd]

robb577: "....Sheryl Atkinson.... is not reporting on what is spent on the Iraq war. That is another story for another day. They only have time for brief reports with the time alloted to them on the CBS news program. This story was only about Byrd''''s wasteful spending of taxpaper''''s money"

1. It''s CBS''s decision to make the reports brief; they could easily decide to do real in depth reporting.... it''s their choice, no one forces the media''s sound bite reporting.
2. "This story was about Byrd''s wasteful spending..." The point is that CBS will use their ''limited reporting time'' to go after Byrd and NEVER cover extreme wasteful spending of the Iraq War. Had Byrd''s vote against the authorization for the Iraq War won, the US Taxpayers would have SAVED $2Billion per week - Byrd would have SAVE us far more money than he has spent. The projects he''s funded help Americans.

[dennisd29]

Who can forget the train station that Bird had built. It was built along an unused rail line. Your tax dollars at work. That old coot still likes to think of himself as a statesman. He is living proof that longevity doesn''t instill wisdom.

[harp1963]

If taxpayer money is going to "Anywhere in the USA" that''s great. If we''re going to have pork, it should be in America.

I wish Americans would get as "outraged" over trillions going to rebuild Iraq, pump her oil, and all the money that went into the destruction of Iraq. A country that had nothing to do with 9/11. Nothing. This wasted money on a made up war also cost a lot of lives. We don''t even demand a investigation into that. Most American get more upset if their homestate University coach leaves for another university. People in America know more statistics about sports than both sides/views of world events.

We''re so far out of touch with reality in this country it''s just a disgraceful unfortunate shame.

[erichsh]

I almost fell out of my chair. CBS going after a Democrat? Hard to believe. As for all the usual Bush-haters, it would be fascinating to visit a website YOU consider to be fair-and-balanced, reporting the news the way YOU would have it reported. Any suggestions?

More kowtowing to the right wing with this little piece of fluff from CBS news. I wish they had spent as much time attacking Republicans with their wasteful spending when they held the majority. However, I''m not convinced that any of the projects reported by CBS in this continuing series have been truly wasteful. Iraq...now that''s wasteful spending. Gazillions down the drain for a mindless endeavor that will bring only more hatred and bitterness towards the USA!!!

Bridges to nowhere, teapot museums, Rostenkowski, Stevens, Useless train stations, The list is huge...Now we have some spawned out old coot doin'' sugardaddy bigbucks (couldn''t help but think of Tennessee Williams). WHEN will we have had enough?

Sheryl Atkinson, keep it up!!

[pelosistilho]

"more kowtowing to the right wing" - sesanders.

Thanks, Mr. Sanders for proving my point about what a bunch of Racist, Anti-Semite, Brain Dead Manure eaters and bozos you of the Left Fascist mentality truly are.

You screamed blue murder about Trent Lott and others, yet there he sits, a old wrinkled piece of Hitlerian sh*t in his white hood and gown, beloved by the same Democrats who hypocritically cry racism when it comes to Republicans demanding EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL Americans.

But not one Dem, not even the likes of Boy Obama, Presidential Wannabe who called Abe Lincoln a "Racist" will ever have the guts - or the brains to demand Byrd''s resignation.

Why - because this scumbag is truly the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

The same party whose White Southern Leaders gave us the Civil War back in 1861 - Jeff Davis and friends were NO Republicans - they were SLAVEOWNERS, STUPID.

[beehive21-2009]

Leave him alone ,he''s almost gone.Start thinking about all the money that needs to be spread around,in the future.

[senatorbyrd]

erichsh: In reply to your comment "it would be fascinating to visit a website YOU consider to be fair-and-balanced, reporting the news the way YOU would have it reported. Any suggestions?"

A: certainly not Faux News -- here''s a start
1. www.liveleak.com Click on Iraq to see all the footage CBS and the media won''t show. There are serious postings from all points of view on this site, not the fluff we see on CBS and the rest of our media.

CBS bashes Byrd and Bush gets a pass for this waste of American troops in a country that had NOTHING to do with 911. $Billions to care for our 30,000 injured troops. 1 Million dead in Iraq. Total Waste
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d8a_1180675064
Osama Bin Laden is a free man while our troops and our tax dollars are wasted in Iraq.
2. www.mediamatters.org
3. www.thenation.com
4. www.buzzflash.com
5. www.consortiumnews.com

When real news depresses you, you can go to
www.bushorchimp.com for a few laughs.

[kennergirl]

New Law: Nothing will be named after you unless your dead for at least 10 years or so. I hate it when politicians start renaming things after themselves. It''s so self-righteous. THey ought to rename Virgina Byrdsina (oooh that sounds dirty).

[jb01201a]

Its because he is a lib just like the rest of you lib fools who read this article. You all love taking money away and spending it on your selves.

[standlee5]

One billion bucks to W Va. That means every one of us have personally sent Byrd like 4-5 bucks or something. Outrageous. The govt. is a big bloated blood sucker. Shrink it.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Republicans demanding EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL Americans." Posted by Pelosistilho

ROFLMAO! Hahahahaha! Name one.

[brianbwb-2009]

"...A nice tree with a rope dangling from it." Posted by Pelosistilho

You refer to it as if you now think that it''s a bad thing, but when it happens to a "Black" man, you spew some "free speech" BS along the lines of "Republicans demanding EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL Americans."

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by Pelosistilho

Although, I must say that I agree with your choice of sig...

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm...

It looks and sounds like business as usual. Byrd droppings, indeed!

Maybe ''earmarks'' need to be outlawed or restricted; but then, who is in charge of that detail? The members of congress, and%u2026President Bush, that''s who. He could have vetoed the bills with the earmarks, and done so repeatedly until the earmarks were gone or made more reasonable.

All of this financial squandering is happening on President Bush''s watch. He and managers in his administration are responsible for the graft and corruption within the military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Then, there are the %u201Cno bid contracts%u201D ala %u201CShotgun ***%u201D Cheney and his cronies%u2026 Good Grief!!

[neoconrcrazy]

Robert Byrd is a great American and a fervent Constitutionalist - how hasn''t "ear-marked" ?

Is not the Bush War the biggest ear-marking in the history of this country ?

Let''s see, 3 billion in 50years in the Senate for Byrd, compared to 800 billion in 7 years + a national debt that has gone through the roof for bush?

Need one say any more?

[trillion1]

Too many Byrds in Congress.

[dalidog255]

Sen. Byrd helped me, a resident of Virginia - not WV - when my father''s oral veteran history was taped over by students at the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA. He arranged for someone to come to my father''s home in WV and get his story for the Library of Congress. My father made 13 crossings on the English Channel in an LST on D-Day, then was at the southern invasion of France, Africa, and the Pacific attached to an Air Squadron at Pearl Harbor the last 14 months of the war. His story was unique and the students had taped over it!!! After I called, his office followed up with me to make sure all went smoothly. I''ll be forever grateful. He''s one man who truly cares about the people he serves. By the way, go visit the Byrd telescope, you will be amazed, it''s FREE ~ I''ve had my Girl Scout troop there, and they were thrilled.

[melcarnahan]

At least he does not operate in secrecy, unlike the no-bid Bushies ( http://tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=203&pubid=85 ) who have looted the treasury turning Clinton''s historic budget surplus as far as the eye can see into a ten trillion dollar debt for the children while vetoing SCHIP.

[rfcnj68]

Sorry to tell you dalidog255 but that nice trip was not free it was your tax dollars at work.

[olebd]

The old coot does a more honest days work than that pig in Alaska or the nut in Pennsylvania (Murtha) I know, but that doesn''t say much.

The hole system is bloated and needs to be trimmed.

[scottyusa]

I suppose you cannot blame Byrd for being good at what he does. He is just really good at playing the game. I am totally against earmarks especially in the defense bill but as long as they are legal and there is no line item veto we are stuck watching WV get all the cash.

[missingamerica]

I hope West Virginia has used Byrd''s earmarks wisely and built some self-sustaining industries with them, or else it sounds like if and when the Byrd goes they''re plucked!

[payasyougo]

Earmarks are not illegal. And the political contributions that are ultimately rewarded with the earmarks are not illegal. And they''ll tell you there is no connection between the two. This whole process, and the government that runs it, is out of control (both Democrats and Republicans), is worsening and the entire country is about to pay for it over the next 10-15 years. Newton''s thrid law (and if you have to look it up then the educational system failed you).

[iceman_1960]

"All paid for by our taxes. Next - the Robert C. KKK Byrd Institute of Racial Superiority, David Duke, Director."
- Posted by Pelosistilho at 01:41 AM : Jan 05, 2008

This is refreshing.

A Neocon racist who has been banned from this forum numerous times, reminding everybody that Byrd used to be in the Klan.

Pelosistilho is also a big fan and follower of some other Neocon, I forget his name, but a guy who used to be a Stalinist but has now "sincerely apologized."

How many people did Stalin murder ?

[alexma50085]

Earmarks are the biggest load of s h i t the government has ever come up with. It just a way to get money without anybody telling them no, and without the American people even knowing about it. With all this money that we give out in earmarks, you think we could reverse it and bring down our 9 trillion dollar national debt. But no, our government just wants to keep spending and spending, and spending more money that we don''t have. Our national debt is what is going to make our country economy bomb. The balloon is about to burst and we going to be heading into another depression, probably worse than that of the 20''s.

[whatithink-2009]

If people only truly became aware of how much of their tax dollars were wasted on frivolous things.

[whatithink-2009]

So much money going to West Virginia yet the vast majority of the population remains poor, the education system remains substandard and the best jobs you can get are working in dirty coal mines.

[nor-one]

Wake up idiots! Of course ear marks are legal! When you have thieves making the laws of course stealing is going to be legal. But only for them.

[fairandbal]

The pro GOP parade on CBS continues. No mention of Senator Stevens in Alaska''s billion dollar bridge to no-where.

CBS and the other MSM outlets are gearing up for supporting GOP interests in 2008. Way to do independent free media!!!

[bethatwork]

Highway - infrastructure.
Locks and dams - infrastructure.
Radio telescope - exploration and scientific knowledge.
Hilltop Building - at least it isn''t a bridge to nowhere.

[phoenixandy]

I''d like to know if Sharyl Atkinson plans to do any stories of Republicans collecting earmarks. Her partisan one-sided reports against the Democrats not only makes her a disgrace among responsible journalists worldwide, she is also a hypocrite and a charlatan.

[crawdadmax]

Let''s not forget that George Bush signs all of these bills.

[element51]

Pelosistilho....I started to respond to your post and was shocked at the profanity that flew out of my fingers. So I backed up and started again. I will not bring myself down to your level. All I can say is that I feel sorry for you. It must be truly awful to go around with so much hate inside. I hope something good happens to you so you can get a little joy out of your life. Good luck.

[element51]

I am very opposed to earmarks. I know that people are elected to get all they can for their states but I also think that we the people should have the right to know where our money is being spent. Why can''t a review committee be set up to look at this kind of spending and then report to us, the taxpayers, on where funds are being spent? There are some projects that should be funded but so many of them are totally unnecessary. Maybe some of the waste could be eliminated and the money divided amont the states to offset some of the unfunded federal mandates that just cause our state and local taxes to go up.

[micma-2009]

We need to make earmarks more transparent.

[drivelphobe]

Robert Byrd is a hero and a master politician. He has taken his obligation to his electorate to heart, and provided the necessary funds through legal and political means. I wish we had had him in California all these years.

[dalidog255]

I ask you rfcnj68, would you rather have bombs & an illegal war or telescopes that map the universe (look at Green Bank Obervatory''s website? Tax dollars are needed for roads, bridges, parks, etc. I do know my Girl Scouts wrote to Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Alma Powell, and Katie Couric, Anne Holton (Gov Tim Kaine of VA wife) all former Girl Scouts. They all wrote back except Katie Couric ~ go figure.