Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle is encouraging residents to contact their Washington lawmakers to rally for funding a multimillion dollar clean up of the harbor.
The city needs about $13 million to finish dredging Newport Harbor. Are you on board with funding this project and, if so, what else do you think you can do to help?
Yes, the federal government, joining with state, county and city governments, ought to fund the dredging of Newport Harbor, as it has in the past.
As an Army Corps of Engineers project, I believe the corps should request the federal portion of funding in its annual budget, and have made this my top priority during an upcoming meeting I have scheduled with the corps.
This is the appropriate way to acquire funding for Newport Harbor.
What I don’t believe is appropriate is for a member of Congress to earmark funds for this project.
Rampant corruption and waste has infiltrated the earmarking process, costing taxpayers nearly $20 billion this year alone and often for projects not authorized or requested by the government agencies tasked with carrying them out.
Because of this, I have personally pledged to request no new earmarks until the wasteful and corrupting practice of earmarking is substantially reformed or eliminated.
John Campbell
Congressman
(R-Newport Beach)
If a formal request is made, then I will be more than happy to follow the lead of my distinguished colleague, Rep. Campbell.
Dana Rohrabacher
Congressman
(R-Huntington Beach)
