Sen. Byrd brings money home
By JOSELYN KING, For The Weirton Daily TimesWHEELING - Some outside West Virginia have nicknamed U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd "The Prince of Pork." But within his home state, that "pork" is seen as a meaty and valuable investment in the local communities.
Byrd's influence in national politics is legendary - 50 years in the U.S. Senate; 49 years on the Senate Appropriations Committee; and $2.26 billion brought to West Virginia in just the past eight years, according to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.
The group sets the total of earmarks coming to West Virginia through Byrd at $3.3 billion since 1991.
Byrd, D-W.Va., has announced he will be stepping down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Jan. 6. He will be replaced by Sen. Daniel Inouye, 84, of Hawaii.
Byrd's influence is strong in the Northern Panhandle, as figures provided by his office indicate he has earmarked $270 million specifically to local projects since 1991.
Figures pertaining to just how many dollars he has brought to West Virginia and the Northern Panhandle were provided by Byrd's office and by Citizens Against Government Waste - though some West Virginians don't consider "Byrd money" as wasteful spending.
Much of the money has been for road improvements and development at the colleges in the state. Among the local institutions to receive money courtesy of Byrd are Wheeling Jesuit University, West Liberty State College and Bethany College.
Wheeling Jesuit has benefited most from Byrd's earmarks, as during the 1990s taxpayers dumped nearly $50 million into new building projects at the school during the presidency of the Rev. Thomas Acker. This resulted in the creation of the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center; the Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies; and the Thomas S. Acker, S.J., Science Center.
Byrd also earmarked operational funding for agencies at Wheeling Jesuit for several years. That funding normally came in around $7 million annually, with the goal being to get the NTTC and other agencies self-sufficient.
The largest single project taxpayers have funded in the area through Byrd's efforts is the U.S. 22 bypass through Weirton, valued at $42.5 million in 1991. The 2.8 mile section of roadway has been named the "Robert C. Byrd Expressway."
Another large project funded with tax dollars is the new Federal Building in Wheeling. The senator appropriated $7.5 million for renovations to the facility in the early 1990s and then secured an additional $29.3 million in the mid-1990s for a new annex.
Oglebay Park also has benefited from Byrd's efforts over the decades, as many projects at the city park were developed with the help of federal money.
G. Randolph Worls, chief executive officer of the Oglebay Foundation, said this money has helped Oglebay become a self-supporting, publicly-owned facility.
Today, just 1 percent of the park's budget comes from taxpayer dollars, according to Worls.
He credits federal funding obtained by the park for Wilson Lodge as creating 200 to 300 jobs there.
"The money for the initial investments at Wilson Lodge was the catalyst for the funds that have made the park system self-sustaining," Worls said. The funding "has allowed us to bring the park to where it is now."
Byrd also was instrumental in helping Oglebay Park in the early 1970s to obtain Appalachian Regional Commission funding that led to the first phase of the Good Zoo, Worls noted.
Worls estimates the park has received more than $10 million in federal funding through Byrd since the 1960s.
"All the investments were good for the community, and because of them we have been able to create cash flow to sustain the park," he said. "We're not getting money for the sake of getting money."
"Sen. Byrd's intent is to place money where it can be leveraged, and he likes to see a return on the investment."
Hydie Friend is executive director of the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp., another local organization to benefit from funding obtained through Byrd. To date, Byrd has secured about $27 million in funding for the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp., according to information provided by the senator's office. More than $5.1 million went toward the restoration of the Wheeling Artisan Center alone.
Other WNHAC projects funded through tax dollars are the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center in Wheeling and the Wheeling Heritage Port.
Friend said the city of Wheeling is designated as a national heritage area because of Byrd's efforts.
"More than being about what it means to this organization ... it's about what this has meant to the community," Friend said of the national heritage area designation.
WNHAC also was the first investor in the Wheeling Stamping Building on Main Street. The organization's money was used to replace windows, roofing and masonry that were then part of the decaying structure.
After the building was renovated, it became home to support offices for the global law firm of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe.
"It's more important to look at this money as community investments," Friend said. "That is where Sen. Byrd's purpose and intention was, and these have helped economic development."
Money from Byrd also has passed through WNHAC to West Virginia Independence Hall on 16th Street in downtown Wheeling, Friend noted. In 2003, the West Virginia State Museum received $95,000 for a Civil War regimental flag collection that is housed in the hall.
Also in 2003, West Liberty State College received two earmarks as a result of Byrd's efforts $1.7 million to equip its residence halls with Internet access, and another $500,000 for science and information programs.
The money came before the tenure of current WLSC President Robin Capehart, but he sees today that the money proved valuable to the college.
"It was obviously beneficial," he said. "It allowed us to enhance the technology that we can offer students."
Byrd, who turned 91 in November, will remain a member of the Appropriations Committee.
