The Facts on Charlie Rangel's $2 million

Yesterday I posted on a disingenuous and false ad that John Gard and the RNC put out in Green Bay to stir the fires of race baiting in their race against Steve Kagen in the 8th CD.

The ad mentions $2 million in earmarks that Rangel attained. Well, not all earmarks are equal and here are the facts on this $2 million in taxpayer dollars.

What that $2 million for the Rangel library actually was used for – scholarships and internships for minority and underprivileged students.

Here are the facts: The ad is referring to a $1.916 million dollar earmark for City College of New York’s Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.

The earmark was in the Labor/HHS/Education appropriations bill H.R. 2764. City College of New York is a public institution that receives public funding. Mary Lou Edmondson in City College’s press department (212 650-5310) says the money is being used for scholarships and internships.

There are currently 19 students in their Masters in Public Service Management program and they are receving scholarships. Ms. Edmondson says the money specifically can NOT be used for construction.

The Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service helps prepare students in City College’s bachelors and masters programs in public administration - particularly underrepresented minority students - for leadership positions in public service. Statistics show that only 6.5% of senior managers in the federal government are black or African-American and 3.73% are Hispanic.

Does that sound like a waste of taxpayer dollars to you? To me it sounds like exactly the type of program that taxpayer dollars should be geared towards and for Gard to bash a program like this again, shows his disdain for minorities and the underprivileged and any programs that help to level the playing field.