Austria, other GOP congressmen, seek few earmarks locally

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Updated 5:21 PM Monday, November 23, 2009

By Jonathan Riskind and Jack Torry

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WASHINGTON — It isn’t that David L. Hobson of Springfield is suddenly switching party allegiance or wavering in his support of a protege or a former congressional colleague.

But when it comes to earmarks, those oft-criticized but still much-sought-after federal dollars for local projects, Hobson, a former GOP congressman, is closer politically these days to the views of U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, than he is to his 7th District replacement, U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, or to U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus.

Tiberi, elected in 2000, hasn’t gone after taxpayer dollars for central Ohio projects since 2007. Austria says he is not pursuing earmarks in his first year in office “due to the out-of-control spending that is taking place in Congress that is not focused enough on the economy and creating jobs.”

That leaves Kilroy as the main central Ohio lawmaker left to go after earmarks for projects such as Ohio State University research initiatives and local road improvements. (The southeastern Ohio district of Rep. Zack Space stretches into eastern Licking County, and the Dover Democrat seeks money for some area projects, too.)

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