Last week Andy Harris and Rep. Richard Hanna of New York introduced federal legislation (H.R. 4007) to create the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park on the Eastern Shore and in Auburn, New York. While it’s the “companion” legislation of a bill introduced last year by Senator Cardin (S.247), there is a key difference: the House bill specifically excludes federal funds from being expended on the creation of the park.
Personally I could live without there being a National Historical Park in my backyard, but there are many in the area who would like to preserve the heritage of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. And having said that, it’s interesting to note that Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski (along with the two Senators from New York) believe the federal government has $7.5 million lying around just to help make this park a reality. I don’t see it.
Continue reading “Tubman National Historical Park closer to reality. But is it something we want?”