Escanaba May Receive $750K for Water Infrastructure and $750K for Water Mains H.R. 6938 (Charles Wears an $8 Suit and Drinks $2 Cup of Coffee While Thinking about Fishing)

(Illustrative independent politician
supporting development
and the needs of the average person.)

Charles is not a a fan of politics
but feels new ideas might
help where people are
caught in cognitive loops of
partisanship. 

Charles is from the
hypothetical Feather Party which
is a philsophical thought experiment
on how an independent third party
might think about possible
legislation using a basic
agreed upon decision making 
matrix. A place for
independent minds. Such a
learning party is designed to tip
votes in the direction of
supporting the next generation
and making strategic evidence based
decisions. It caps donations
and doesn't work with 
special interests as per their
charter. It is is not an oppositional
part by nature. It is meant
for mental exploration and doesn't
at this time exist.
One could find reasons for
or against such a party so
it is just a discussion. No
right or wrong answer. Feel 
free to discard.

Let us say one thought on
fostering a new fish
hatchery in the Delta County
area. Would
it be beneficial or not? One of
the first considerations is ROI. 
If a project can pay for itself
through its own revenue (i.e. commercial
and recreational fishing licenses) as 
well as create long-term benefits
for tourism, fishing industry, 
Great Lakes health, new industries,
and other benefits it
will add to the economic
and social health. Who doesn't
want to take their kids fishing,
offer local fish cuisine, develop
an export market, clean protein,
 create tax revenue and help local 
commerical fishing industry? You
have to do your own analysis
and make your own decisions. 
I have not done one.
That is the point of this mental 
exercise to think about
how these things can happen and
how to foster knowledge
and awareness of the benefits
or detractors of legislation
from an independent viewpoint.
Economic Sustainable 
Reinvestment 

P.S. most of society doesn't 
have a lot of money
so Charles sometimes buys
his suits from Saint
Vincent de Paul
down on Ludington for
like under $8. Feel
free to donate to them and help
your community. Great
people down there. I have
been there a few times. Style
takes effort. Looks
as good as the rich people. 🙃 
If he can do that with $10
and had enough left over
for coffee at Eco Fuel
or Kwik Trips
what can he do with the 
national budget? 🤷

It was recently announced that $6.8 million has been secured for Michigan’s First Congressional District through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act. This funding is welcome news, as many communities in the district could put these resources to good use.

Local Funding for Escanaba

For the local community, the following allocations stood out:

• $750,000 for the City of Escanaba to fund water infrastructure improvements.

• $750,000 for the City of Escanaba to upgrade water mains and service lines, reducing the risk of breaks and service disruptions.

These investments should help strengthen essential infrastructure and improve reliability for residents.

Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act

(Comment: The information below came out of the bill I used AI to help me find what I want but I did read it through and then just seek out the highlights. Double check it yourself because AI lies sometimes and to use it means you have do a reasonable review of its information. In this case I am just having it synthesize information.)

Other Notable Funding Areas

A few additional provisions in the bill also caught my attention:

• Grants for the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, supporting cultural and educational programs. It is important to support the arts and humanities to help people develop awareness of cultural values and the expressions of people over the generations. 

• (Comment: Locally we do not get a lot of funding but it is nice to think about it Nutcrackers Impact-Forget the fitness trainer comment at the end but more on the impact of theater on health and society. Players de Noc in Escanaba is another great community entity that does everything from reading to musicals. They usually draw a big crowd. Feel free to donate at Players de Noc. I think of them from a cultural, tourist, quality of life, values, and community pride type organization. It is possible to measure some of the additional benefits but it takes time and research.)

NOAA and Fisheries Funding

The bill also provides substantial funding for NOAA operations, research, and vessels, which supports fisheries-related activities such as data collection, stock assessments, management programs, and workforce training.

(Comment: This raises an interesting broader question about long-term environmental priorities. It would be nice to see more support as the Great Lakes could arguably become one of the largest protected freshwater fishing resources in the world if more effort were placed on restoring native species and addressing invasive species challenges. As well as ensuring revenue generation in tax that first funds what is needed to develop the Great Lakes versus other purposes. Redirecting even a fraction of the vast disproportionate sums spent overseas for low return expenditures toward domestic environmental restoration could have a significant positive impact-short and long-term. Similarly, addressing issues in other places like ocean sewage pollution along the Tijuana–San Diego border could help preserve environmental and economic value on the West Coast. Perhaps finding a way to fix this leads to solutions in other places. We have some work to do. Maybe not?)

Specific Fisheries Programs Funded

 Key fisheries-related allocations include:

• Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery: $65 million to support salmon and steelhead conservation, including habitat restoration grants to states and tribes, allocated based on scientific merit.

• Fisheries Disaster Assistance: $300,000 to administer disaster assistance programs under the Magnuson–Stevens Act and related laws.

• Fishermen’s Contingency Fund: Up to $349,000 from collected receipts to support industry contingency needs.

• Fisheries Finance Program: Authority for direct loan obligations, including up to $24 million for quota loans and up to $150 million for traditional direct loans under the Merchant Marine Act.

(Comment: While the fishing industry in our area is not part of the bill, it is still important to think about these programs and if there is a way to bring a fishery and fish hatching to Delta County. Perhaps not in this bill but maybe in future legislation. It might be possible and it would help local tourism as well as foster our local commercial fishing into more regional exportation Entrepreneurial Clusters).

Read it yourself to learn about it and stay up to date. Knowledgeable citizens seek to understand before judgement. Try and create a decision making matrix where you look at these issues from a short and long-term impact that can range from economic and social impact all the way over to environment. What you put in your matrix and what lenses you use to evaluate legislation is up to you. For the most part just be informed and let your personal knowledge do the rest. It is nice to see Escanaba potentionally get a little money for its infrastructure. If you don't know about Escanaba it is an emerging hot spot that includes tourism, investment, wood products, entrepreneurs and much more. If you love the outdoors it is a great place to be! Make your own decision on the bill. This was meant to be neutral.

Passed the House, onto Senate and then President's approval. Here is some information on Current Bill Voting

H.R. 6938 – Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6938/text