Included in a response from Sen. Byron Dorgan to my concern about the recently passed $410-billion Omibus spending bill was an article written by a North Dakotan that itemizes some of the projects that will benefit many in North Dakota and addresses those who would call the bill's spending "out-of-control" and "wasteful."

Included in the article's list is money for energy and environmental research, a new water system for Devils Lake, an Interstate interchange, a flood control feasibility study, supercomputing at NDSU, and mosquito control for Williston. It is argued that these North Dakota earmarks (up to $185 million of the total $5 billion in earmarks) are the equal to North Dakotans receiving their money back.

There are a number of problems with this reasoning, Senator. First, what moral right do we have to take money from those in Mobile, Tulsa, Nome or any other state's citizenry to fund our college's computing capabilities, our town's flood studies, our state's mosquito control program or our Lawrence Welk museum for that matter? And how do we North Dakotans receive our money back when we are funding 49 other states' projects; projects like cricket control in Utah, a tattoo removal program, astronomy promotion in Hawaii and pig odor research in Iowa?

Secondly, the case is made that many of the earmark projects are beneficial. However, is this period of extreme economic hardship the time to be funding many of these uncritical projects when we are already trillions of dollars in debt due to the bailout bill last fall and the gross spending bill passed in February? Sure, I would love carpet and a bathroom in my lower level where we have bedrooms. Yet, I've been waiting these 16 years, making due with remnants on the floors and all four kids sharing an upstairs bathroom, because we live on a budget. As a rule, we don't spend what we don't have.

Lastly, most earmarks supersede the boundaries of the federal government's domain which is enumerated in the opening lines of our Constitution: establish justice, assure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general (not targeted) welfare and secure liberty for us and our children.