For a guy who usually writes so eloquently about weighty and complex moral issues, this is surprisingly ungracious:
Speak no ill of the dead? Well, let me simply say that the racist, populist, larcenous bigot of a Senator---a man who robbed the American tax-payer to pave his state with baubles and bribes---is not going to be much mourned in these parts.
What I'd like to know is this: when did "robbing American taxpayers" to "pave one's state with baubles and bribes" become such a misdemeanor of governance? I always thought that one of the most important responsibilities of any legislator was to lobby on behalf of his constituents, and making sure that they get their "fair share" of federal revenues to spend on public-works projects that will, hopefully, make a positive contribution to their health, happiness and well-being, now and for posterity. Did West Virginia get "more" than its fair share? Probably. But so what of it?
Robert Byrd represented a poor state. A very poor state. Over the course of five decades, he worked his way up the seniority ladder, learned how to leverage the patronage system, and managed over to obtain billions of dollars in funding for his constituents, so they could build things like schools and hospitals and other stuff as well:
It's difficult to travel in West Virginia without seeing something that's been dedicated in Byrd's honor through the Allegheny Highlands. Corridor H is one of his most well-known entities bearing his name. His unyielding support of the state's corridor system has helped ensure four-lane divided highway passage through the mountains, creating faster, more efficient travel and boosting economic growth.Randolph County Commissioner Julia Elbon credits Byrd with connecting Elkins to the interstate system. Before Corridor H between Elkins and Weston opened, the only way to access the eastern portion of the state from the west was by traveling winding two-lane roads. Since then, Corridor H has been credited with helping Randolph County and the area gain more tourists from states that can use Interstates and similar highways the entire way . . .
Two projects in which Byrd was instrumental are entering the final stages before completion. The Elkwater Dam, near Valley Head, will provide fishing and boating opportunities as well as potable drinking water for the residents in the southern area of the county; and a nearly $1 million infrastructure project in the Elkins Railyard is scheduled to break ground on July 9.
As the Elkwater Fork Dam undergoes final preparations for its reservoir filling process, Upper Valley Watershed Partnership Chairwoman Elaine Russell explained how the structure would not have come to fruition without the help of Byrd.
The senator helped find $50,000 for the initial Upper Valley Watershed and dam study and after it was completed, Byrd secured $19.5 million for construction. Work on the dam didn't begin right away and when the cost of steel increased, so did the price tag. With Byrd's influence, the federal government picked up three-fourths of the final approximate $35 million cost, while the state paid for one-fourth. Russell says residents between Randolph County's southern points and Elkins will benefit from the project for many years . . .
Scientific advancement throughout the region and country has seen the effects of Byrd's guiding hand as well. In Tucker County, the Friends of the 500th will forever be grateful to the senator for providing the funding for the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge completely within the state's borders. According to Refuge Manager Jonathan Shaffler, Byrd was "instrumental" in its establishment.
Shaffler says the Canaan Valley would be a completely different place if it weren't for the foresight possessed by Byrd. And, he continued, the entire state would be a different place without the senator's prominence.
"It doesn't take a fool to look around and see what he's done for us," Shaffler said.
In Pocahontas County, the skyline would be totally void of one of its most easily identifiable landmarks if Byrd had not been as devoted to expanding science research in West Virginia.
"His namesake is in our backyard," Michael Holstine, business manager at the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory, said.
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, dedicated in 2000, became a reality with Byrd's help. The observatory came to his attention when one of the GBT's predecessors collapsed. Holstine said the senator called for an emergency appropriation for the observatory to repair the damaged telescope. Byrd also played an integral part in securing $8 million in funding for the construction of the science center and nearby student dormitory.
And these things are "bribes and baubles"?
Whatever you call them, one can't deny that Robert Byrd was one hell of an effective legislator---securing federal funding for education, transportation, sciences and the environment, for the people of West Virginia. His constituents were grateful for all of his work, and rewarded him by re-electing him again and again. And this is a bad thing? Pray tell, in what world? Would it have been any better to Sullivan if Robert Byrd had lobbied for military bases in West Virginia instead of roads and observatories? Should he have simply delivered florid speeches on the Senate floor, then gone home? Or perhaps he should have simply sat in the back of the chamber, snarling at his colleagues to get off his damn lawn while voting "No" on a bunch of 99-1 appropriations bills. I mean, I really do admire Sullivan's work, but how else can you read a post like this and not conclude that he seems to have a profound misunderstanding of how American-style government is supposed to actually work? Either that, or this is simply a case of mean-spirited sniping, which is completely uncharacteristic of him, and frankly beneath his dignity.
Either way, one man's earmark really is another man's paycheck---and frankly, we could use a few more Senators like Robert Byrd right now, lobbying their colleagues on The Hill for more federally-funded paychecks instead of self-defeating spending cuts and austerity measures.
---Vitelius