The Political Habitat of the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Spreads Nationally

That cute little bundle of furry, seed-eating mischief, having found itself the principle benefactor of a non-specific $16.1 earmark in the federal stimulus bill, has managed to expand its political habitat well beyond that of its natural territory, all the way to Mio, Michigan.


Now, it isn't like the mouse actually checked any luggage before boarding a flight in Nancy Pelosi's home district to later touch down at the Oscoda County Airport. (Seriously, can you imagine anything quite so adorable as those little suitcases?) Anyway, it was only the spirit of the mouse and word of his great fortune that landed smoothly on the otherwise bumpy dirt landing strip just north of town.

Let me explain.

Like many small towns and sparsely populated counties across the country where there is a need for marginal airport facilities, the facilities themselves are not used frequently enough to warrant huge investments.

The Oscoda County Airport is one such facility. It is seldom used by much of anyone though two single engine aircraft are tied down on the property. Its runway is dirt, its edge marked with three foot yellow cones, and its condition is listed as poor. There is no control tower, no published instrument procedures, no fencing to keep animals from mating on the runway, and don't even think about fueling up because it won't happen unless you bring your own can. And fuel.

Given the current lack and condition of facilities and the airport's infrequent usage, how much money would be reasonable to upgrade the airport to make it a more likely stop for aircraft travelers? It would not take a great leap in logic to deduce that the airport, to stay even minimally functional, could use some modest upgrades, but what, and for how much?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently required the county to submit a 10 year plan for capital improvements. In order to comply with this regulation, the county hired a consulting firm to help it devise a plan that would address the airport's inadequacies. The report came back with recommendations for several capital improvements as well as estimated costs for implementing the projects contained within the 10 year plan. The county commissioners approved of the plan.

Now, don't swallow your gum. The total price tag is $2,432,500 according to the Oscoda County Herald.

Estimates from Hunt and Mead show the runway improvements to cost approximately $1.36 million, with the state and local governments both on the hook for $34,000 in cost.

[...]

Estimates from Mead and Hunt estimate the cost for the fueling station to be $157,500, with the federal government covering $150,000 of the cost.

[...]

Mead and Hunt estimates the cost for the design and construction of the T-hanger to be about $615,000, with the county and state each picking up about $15,000 of the total cost.

[...]

The rest of the plan calls for the construction of perimeter fencing around the airport. The fencing is estimated to cost about $300,000.

The fencing would help to keep animals and outside traffic off of the runways according to Ward.

Some in the audience questioned the commissioners why they would spend upward of $70,000 in county money on an airport that is used by so few county residents.

County Commissioner Joe Stone said that it was in the best interest in the residents for the county to only have to invest 2.5 percent of the funding that could bring millions of dollars in additional capital to the county.

I chatted briefly with one of the county commissioners this morning. While he did say that several years ago he would never have supported such a thing, he also pointed out that a great majority of the cost of the projects would not be covered locally.

So, what does all this have to do with the salt water harvest mouse?

I mentioned to the commissioner that even if the money was not coming out of county coffers, it would ultimately have to be paid for by the taxpayers regardless of which bureaucracy borrowed the money to foot the bill. He replied that if Congress is happy to send a lot more money to Nancy Pelosi's district to help the habitat of the salt marsh harvest mouse, why shouldn't Oscoda County be worth at least a little something in comparison for a project that could actually generate a little revenue and perhaps help to attract new businesses to the area in the future?

He has a point.

Who can blame any locals, whether from Mio or Timbuktu, for lobbying for a little cash when turd spewing California rodents are apparently worthy of so much more?

This is the legacy of the salt marsh harvest mouse--the ridiculousness of the size of its award now a plausible justification for countless other questionable expenditures all across this once great land of ours. Nancy Pelosi's legacy will be much less attractive.