Although the Oppose Real ID Act did not pass the Senate this year, we want to point out that opposition to Real ID has little to do with fiscal responsibility.
After all, the sponsors of the Oppose Real ID Act requested $1.2 billion in earmarks during the past 2007-2008 legislative session. Compare that to the $200-$300 million price tag to implement Real ID.
Proposed earmarks include Rep. Cole’s (D-Rockingham) request for $55,000 for a national banjo museum in Rockingham as well as Rep. Coates (D-Rowan) request for $29 million for the N.C. Research Campus at Kannapolis.
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Here is the list of total proposed earmarks by sponsors of the Oppose Real ID Act:
Primary Sponsors:
Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham): $11 million
Lorene Coates (D-Rowan): $31.7 million
Co-Sponsors:
Cary Allred (R-Alamance): none
Alice Bordsen (D-Alamance): $9.4 million
Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg): $72 million
Walter Church (D-Burke): $9.2 million
Jerry Dockham (R-Davidson): $3.1 million
Nelson Dollar (R-Wake): $500,000
Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Wilson): $21.2 million
Phillip Frye (R-Caldwell): $3.8 million
Pryor Gibson (D-Anson): $35.3 million
Mitch Gillespie (R-Burke): none
Jim Gulley (R-Mecklenburg): $1.1 million
Phillip Haire (D-Haywood): $28.2 million
Jim Harrell (D-Alleghany): $59.3 million
Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford): $38.4 million
Dewey Hill (D-Brunswick):$40.4 million
Pat Hurley (R-Randolph): $8 million
Verla Insko (D-Orange): $17.2 million
Maggie Jeffus (D-Guilford): $86.5 million
Jimmy Love (D-Harnett): $5.6 million
Marvin Lucas (D-Cumberland): $33.9 million
Paul Luebke (D-Durham): $570,000
Deborah Ross (D-Wake): $46.1 million
Drew Saunders (D-Mecklenburg): $13.6 million
Tim Spear (D-Chowan): $12.1 million
Joe Tolson (D-Edgecombe): $316.2 million
Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake): $41.3 million
Arthur Williams (D-Beaufort): $287.1 million
$1.2 billion for banjo museums and research boondoggles and $5 million horse parks. But not enough money to protect North Carolinians from terrorists and identity thieves — or to secure our driver’s licenses from illegal aliens.
… something needs to change.
Jameson Taylor, with Amanda Abbott
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