To be frank, reps' check is in the mail

Boston Herald ^ | Sunday, April 24, 2005 | Noelle Straub

[r5boston]

Bay State congressmen spent nearly $218,000 in taxpayer funds to send mass mailings to constituents in 2004, using public money to mail largely self-promotional materials to potential voters in an election year.

U.S. Rep. John Olver (D-Amherst) last year spent nearly $45,000 in taxpayer dollars on mailings to constituents, a practice known as "franking.''

Olver, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, sent out one newsletter with a two-page glossy map of his district showing about 30 projects the panel funded ``at my request.''

The map noted $3.5 million in federal earmarked funds for Pioneer Valley bike paths, $13.4 million for Route 2 safety improvements and $8.8 million for the Pittsfield Intermodal Transportation Center.

Responding to questions with a written statement, Olver said such newsletters ``serve a very useful purpose in that they are a fairly reliable avenue for members of Congress to communicate with their constituents'' and educate them on lawmakers' positions on issues and congressional happenings.

Though politicians say franking simply allows them to keep the public informed, watchdog groups criticize the practice as providing incumbents a publicly funded advantage over opponents who must pay to get the same publicity.