Hightower Lowdown

Looking for a present
for that special someone?
Here’s a unique gift that
literally keeps on giving: a
national park!
That’s what Ralph Regula
bought for his wife, Mary.
What did it cost him?
Nothing. He didn’t buy it
with his money, silly—he
used yours. Ralph, you
see, is a Republican congress
critter and a powerful
member of the House
Appropriations Committee.
A few years ago, Mary
founded an outfit called
the National First Ladies’
Library, and she wanted a
proper home for it. So, in
2000, the subcommittee
that Ralph just happens to
chair created and funded
the First Ladies’ National
Historic Site, making it
part of our National Park
Service. Where is it
located? Why, in Ralph’s
district, of course.
Ralph’s gift just keeps
giving. In addition to providing
annual operating
funds for Mary’s little historic
site, Ralph has also
used “earmarks” to slip
more than $2 million in
extra money to her project
—all done with no public
debate or vote. Plus, his
subcommittee has provided
a $2.5 million federal matching
grant to renovate a
bank building that Mary’s
library group owns. In
Washington, this is known
as “pillow-talk pork.”
While Mary’s project
officially is part of our park
system and gets 70 percent
of its operating funds
through the park service,
the site is not operated
by park professionals.
Instead, Mary and her
group run it. Also, in keeping
with the family theme,
the Regula’s daughter,
Martha, works for the historic
site as a librarian.
Managers of America’s
other parks have seen
their budgets slashed, but
Mary’s miraculously
seems to prosper. This is
all the more amazing when
you consider that it draws
under 10,000 visitors a
year. As one watchdog
group has calculated, taxpayers
shell out about
$1000 for every visitor who
comes to Mary’s park.
Did I mention that hubby
Ralph is in line to be the
next chairman of the full
appropriations committee?