Congressman John Campbell's Blog - Green Eyeshade Blog

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Posted by: John Campbell at 2:32 PM

Earlier this week, the Rock Hill Herald from South Carolina published a story on Congressman James Clyburn's (D-S.C.) numerous monuments bearing his name across the 6th district of South Carolina.

Clyburn's name is adorned on 14 seperate buildings, monuments, and roadways ranging from the James E. Clyburn Golf Center to the James E. Clyburn Intermodal Transportation Center, some of which were funded by federal tax dollars. Hardly a prudent use of taxpayer dollars to say the least.

However, Mr. Clyburn has some work to do if he wants to gather as many namesakes as Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), who has an amazing 34 monuments, roads, bridges, and buildings across West Virginia named after himself.

Pretty impressive? Or pretty ridiculous?

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HonganOs writes:	Thursday, May, 29, 2008 5:58 PM
Disturbing
I don't know about anyone else, but I find it disturbing that we're using tax dollars to build monuments to living politicians. Isn't that the sort of thing that's usually done after history has remembered someone kindly? And, yes, I checked -- there are life-size or larger statues of both Clyburn and Byrd. Here's a link that mentions both: http://swineline.org/2008/05/27/clyburns-monuments-to-me/ I have two questions: Did tax dollars pay for these things, and did these guys actually vote on bills containing funding for statues of themselves? (I'd love it if Congressman Campbell could follow up on this, though I suppose I should get off my lazy butt and do it myself.) Putting a politician's name on a bridge or building is bad enough. It's political advertising at taxpayers' expense. But a statue...? That's just ridiculous.
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Jon in Ca writes:	Thursday, May, 29, 2008 8:33 PM
Let their families pay for up-keep
Simple rule: Politicians are permitted 1 monument. For every additional monument, the politicians family (decendants) will bear the cost for upkeep of said monument. If Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are sufficient for two of our greatest leaders in the country's history... these current political leeches can abide by similary modesty.
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RickV404 writes:	Thursday, May, 29, 2008 9:22 PM
Ridiculous indeed.
These politicians think they're so important, when they accomplish nothing without our money, and we have less and less of it, as they do more and more. They deserve no monuments. The greatness of American has very little to do, in fact, with politicians or with government. On the contrary, it is the government and its officers that are driving this country further and further into mediocrity.
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asurferiamnot writes:	Friday, May, 30, 2008 3:50 PM
Give Clyburn 25 more years
That should allow him to catch up with Byrd. Although Byrd may serve another term or two. Why stop at 34? We did once vote for term limits, right?
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Upland William writes:	Sunday, June, 01, 2008 6:06 PM
Byrd
Not only does Byrd have those 34 monuments(is that all?), they all have his full name -- Robert C. Byrd splattered across them in large letters. Now they've started naming stuff after his late wife. Perhaps when he dies, they'll rename the state after him.
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About John Campbell

John Campbell is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and has taken a leadership role in addressing the country's top economic issues. Campbell serves as a member of the Joint Economic Committee, and House Committee on the Budget. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master's Degree in Taxation from USC.