OK, OK, I Got Another One

We've been watching the "war of farming" in the Chesapeake Bay for a while.  Clearly, agriculture is a big source of the nutrients that plague the Bay.  But so is the poorly treated sewage that gets dumped by any number of municipalities around the watershed as well.  The following two article show the level of inequality in how the various state "invest" to fix the Bays issues:

Board of Public Works Approves $312,882 in Agricultural Cost-Share Grants

(in best Dr. Evil voice) "Wow! $300,000.  That's a lot of money, right!",

But of course, it has to be shared across the whole agricultural community:

Governor Martin O’Malley announced that the Board of Public Works approved $312,882.17 in agricultural cost-share grants in 15 counties for 44 projects that will prevent soil erosion, manage nutrients and safeguard water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Together, these projects will prevent 5,425.58 pounds of nitrogen, 2,317.12 pounds of phosphorus, and 1,686.40 tons of soil from entering the Bay and its tributaries. These projects are funded by state general obligation bonds and are not part of MDA's general fund budget allocation. The Board is comprised of the Governor, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and Comptroller Peter Franchot.

Now compare to the treatment of municipalities...

Porter-Tower Joint Municipal Authority receives $11 million to upgrade wastewater treatment facility

$11,000, 000 for just one sewage system. How much is going to sewage overall?

The Porter-Tower Joint Municipal Authority received $11 million in state funds as part of a $115 million investment in water infrastructure projects throughout the state announced April 25 by Gov. Tom Corbett.

"These projects will significantly continue to improved waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay, and will also create hundreds of new jobs that are so vital to our local communities," Gov. Corbett said in a press release. "These projects serve the dual purposes of responsible environmental stewardship and steadfast economic recovery, both of which are critical to the future of Pennsylvania."

The $115 million investment consists of $82 million in low-interest loans and $33 million in grants for 28 projects in 17 counties.

$100 million?  Chickenfeed!

According to EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, the Bay Foundation, and Chesapeake Bay Action Plan  agriculture is one of the great contributers to pollution in Chesapeake Bay.  But when push comes to shove, they'd much rather invest in the pollution from the city governments than in the privately owned agricultural industry.  If they were really results oriented, they'd be investing money where they get the biggest bang for the buck.  If agriculture really is the big source they say it is (and I assume it as well), they should be investing approximately equally in pollution reduction.

Partly, of course, it's about buying votes.  The sparsely populated agricultural areas have relatively few votes, and the farm owners affected have even fewer.  By offering thousands of jobs (even if they are constructing and working in sewage treatment plants), politicians hope to encourage people to keep them in office.