Walden's Earmark Requests Online, Bend Misses Out

Publication: Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ethan Lindsey
March 27, 2008

Greg Walden is Oregon's first member of Congress to put his earmark requests on his web site - $46 million he hopes the federal budget will send to his congressional district. Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports that despite Walden's transparency, the city of Bend will lose out.

Bend missed the deadline to submit the earmark requests.

City Recorder Patty Stell says she forgot to inform employees funding forms were due Monday.

Three of the five Bend proposals didn't make it. That's $15 million that the Bend airport and a key roads project will not see.

The only reason the public knows about it is Walden's policy of posting earmark requests to the web.

Gabriela Schneider is a spokeswoman for the Sunlight Foundation. The group supports making what Walden does into a federal law.

Gabriela Schneider: "It's not unique, but it is  rare thing. You know, citizens shouldn't have to rely on the kindness of members of Congress to know how they are spending our tax money."

The Sunlight Foundation says 40 House and Senate members put their earmarks online, but Walden is the only one from Oregon - though Democrat Earl Blumenauer says he plans to post his requests in the next few days.