Amendment Offered by Mr. Flake

Amendment Offered by Mr. Flake -- (House of Representatives - June 28, 2006)

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

This association, as the gentleman said, was formed in 1987, this association of 42 of Kentucky's counties covering five out of the six congressional districts.

What sets these counties apart, however, is their extreme poverty. These are rural counties in an impoverished coal mining region of the State who have seen the jobs in the mines disappear through mechanization and otherwise; and these counties are searching for a way to live, to survive. They are too poor to do it on their own, to form an association to try to create tourism, train people, create the small jobs that it takes to run tourism entrepreneurships. So they banded together, 42 of them, into an association where they pool their resources.

The State of Kentucky helps fund this association, as well as the Federal Government and locals. But for this association, these counties would not be able to advertise and attract to the very, very beautiful part of the country, the mountains, the streams and the hills, the history. It is the home of country music. US 23 that runs north and south through eastern Kentucky is known as Country Music Highway, a National Scenic Byway now, thanks to this association.

They are the ones that promoted that National Scenic Byway. There are two others, the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway, National Scenic Byway, and the Daniel Boone Trail. The Cumberland Gap is a part of this area.

So this association works to promote the region. It is providing jobs to those who otherwise would be drawing Federal handouts, Federal welfare. We are trying to work to get people a job rather than take a check from the Federal Government. I look upon this as not a handout but a hand up, and these communities are now beginning to realize income that provides real jobs for people that would otherwise be drawing welfare.

Now, is it unique that we would look to the Federal Government to help a region help itself grow into something better and provide the jobs? No, it is not unique. I would support today the earmarks over the years for the centra

Arizona water project that enabled Arizona to grow and prosper and boom as it is now and providing jobs for people. That is what the Federal Government should be doing, and I do not begrudge a minute the gentleman from Arizona and the boom that is occurring in Arizona, but it was caused because the Federal Government over the years earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars to provide water out of the Colorado River so that Arizona in the desert would bloom.

It is a good thing. I would support that and continue to do so, but I would hope the gentleman would realize there are other parts of the country with much much smaller needs but equally as important to the people that live there.

So, Mr. Chairman, I hope we will turn down the amendment.

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