Lighthouse Preservation Funded in 2009 Budget

What a week of controversy leading up to the passage of the 2009 Spending Bill, aka the 2009 Budget. Particularly when it came to Maine Lighthouses. Some Republicans, led by John McCain, made a big fuss about the so-called pork programs in the Spending Bill, that was up for a vote in both Houses last week. While President Obama has promised to eliminate “pork” from future spending bills, this one was crafted under the auspices of the old administration. It was ultimately passed, but not after McCain’s staff laid into one of them especially, the $380,000 promised to the American Lighthouse Foundation for renovations to three Maine lighthouses. these lighthouses are still owned by the Federal Government and haven’t been transferred. But the ALF has a lease for maintaining them.

The three Maine lighthouses are Pemaquid Point (pictured above), Wood Island Light and Owl’s Head Lighthouses. The earmarks were added by Sen. Susan M. Collins, who defended their inclusion:

“These lighthouses perform a vital function for Maine’s lobster and fishing industries, as well as for commercial shipping and recreational boaters,” Collins said.

“They are critical, active navigation aids,” she continued. “I would also note that the American Lighthouse appropriation is a direct investment in federal property, a responsibility that dates to 1789 when the first Congress extended federal funding to lighthouses. This isn’t new. This isn’t something that the senators from Maine dreamt up when…we were trying to come up with worthy projects. This goes back to the beginning days of our republic.”

The Twitter Controversy and Support

Taking a cue from the winning presidential campaign of Barack Obama, McCain’s staffers set up a Twitter account and broadcast the earmarks they considered pork. When the one for the three Maine Lighthouses was sent out, there was quite an outpouring of support for lighthouses. The following are some selected responses to McCain’s staff about his “tweet.”

@SenJohnMcCain SIR I have experience with sailing the coastal waters of Maine. Without a lighthouse, you can actually run into the coastline

#4 on McCain’s Porkiest Projects list: RT @SenJohnMcCain: $380,000 for lighthouses in Maine; whats wrong with lighthouses in Maine?

Shoutout to @SenJohnMcCain and his informative Tweets. I ADORE lighthouses and are all for their restoration.

RT @SenJohnMcCain: 4. $380,000 for lighthouses in Maine whats wrong with lighthouses in Maine?

Relentless whining from @SenJohnMcCain about good American things: research, museums, lighthouses, playgrounds.

@SenJohnMcCain Lighthouses in Maine? Not “pork.” Pork would be lighthouses along…the Turquoise Trail or Salt River (the earmarks u LIKED)!

@SenJohnMcCain Again with all due respect Sir the purpose of the Lighthouses is to keep fishing boats from crashing into rocks.

@SenJohnMcCain Either building or repairing, lighthouses save lifes and cargo.

@shoq Wow! Keeping ships from hitting shoals. What were we thinking? RT @SenJohnMcCain: 4. $380,000 lighthouses Maine

@SenJohnMcCain so who do you expect is going to pay for the lighthouses then?? #publicgood

I’m sorry Babs–I had to yell at John McCain. Anyone who has sailed off the coast of Maine KNOWS how important lighthouses are. Harumph!

@SenJohnMcCain What’s wrong with wanting to preserve American lighthouses? We should preserve historical American sites.

@SenJohnMcCain I like lighthouses.

@SenJohnMcCain don’t lighthouses save lives? create jobs to make them?

Out of all the responses I monitored, only a very few agreed with McCain. Most were supportive of lighthouse preservation. Especially since the lights are still owned by the government, the Coast Guard has been underfunded for years on their maintenance, and at least these will be preserved in an historically accurate manner.

Other Lighthouses Are Getting Money Also

It’s not only the three Maine lights that will be benefiting. Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort Michigan is getting $225,000. The photo below is of the lighthouse tower, taken in 2002. Although it’s since been repaired through the efforts of the Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse, the upkeep is ongoing. The fog signal building was completed last year, but there is still work to be done.

Decaying wall at Point Betsie Lighthouse, Frankfort, Michigan, 2002

The money earmarked for Point Betsie was sponsored by Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, two of the state’s most ardent lighthouse supporters.

Apostle Island Lighthouses Get $5 Million

The Apostle Islands Lighthouse Restoration project will receive $5 million in funding to allow the U.S. Parks Service to conduct necessary reconstruction and preservation of historic lighthouses in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The money will pay for structural upgrades and make at least one lighthouse a tourist destination by restoring it in the style of a bygone era.

Raspberry Island Lighthouse, Apostle Islands Nat’l Lakeshore, Wisconsin

By far the best known, the Raspberry Island Lighthouse will be one of the beneficiaries under the budgeted monies. Although the Park Service has identified a need for $12 million in repairs, the Chief of Planning for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Jim Nepstad said he’s grateful for the money.

Still An Ongoing Controversy

With the economy in the shambles it’s in, there is still disagreement even among lighthouse preservationists whether the government should be funding the repair of lighthouses. Some would rather see them fall down, as our priorities ought to be placed elsewhere. I am definitely not of that inclination, as this type of funding does keep people working. Anything that keeps people working is a good thing, as not all work can be done by volunteers. In fact, sometimes the volunteer labor is misplaced, and work is done improperly. And as with all projects, there is a cascading effect on other jobs.

A Generation Which Ignores History Has No Past - And No Future — Lazarus Long

Photo Credits:

• Pemaquid Point Lighthouse by BristolSue. Some rights reserved
• Decay by SpringChick. Some rights reserved.
• Raspberry Island Lighthouse by Luiz Castro. Some rights reserved.

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