Rep. George Miller: No Help with Arsenal Cleanup; More Federal Money Needed for Jobs

When it comes to federal dollars for cleaning up the Benicia Arsenal, Representative George Miller can't help.

Since Congressional earmarks — funding for specific projects included in federal spending bills — are no longer allowed, it is up the Army Corps of Engineers to decide if federal dollars will flow to Benicia for the proposed cleanup, Miller said during an interview Monday, Sept. 19.

Miller (D-Seventh District), who was first elected to Congress in 1975, is about to lose Benicia, a city he has represented since 1993, to redistricting. He doesn't have any advice for Benicia's likely representative Mike Thompson (D-First District) but thinks Benicians, more often than not, will agree with their new comgressman.

Besides the Arsenal cleanup, Miller talked about a wide range of including charter schools and President Barack Obama's jobs initiative.

While he acknowledged the need to grow the economy, he also believes government spending has a role to play.

"I believe you've got to use the public sector as a catalyst," said Miller. "I do not believe you're going to cut your way out of this."

Miller with met at his Concord district office with three editors from Patch and four U.C. Berkeley student journalists who write for the online information site Richmond Confidential.