When a congressional legislator nixes the potential of federal funding for projects — Amtrak, Planned Parenthood, addiction treatment come to mind — the message sends early word that supporters should look elsewhere, quickly, for money.
Recently, U.S. Sen. Dan Coats was in town and made it clear that federal dollars would be unlikely to pay for any of the estimated $350 million to $450 million needed for the proposed Mounds Lake reservoir.
First, the announcement was a bit of political posturing in that Coats, a Republican, said entitlement programs were garnering most of federal funds. Those programs are supported by Democrats.
Second, the message told local officials that they should seek creative ways to finance the massive project along White River.
Certainly, the reservoir — stretching from Daleville to the Irondale neighborhood in Anderson — is not dependent on federal dollars. While local residents balance the pros and cons of the project, its purpose to provide water to Indianapolis water customers and create new economic revenue streams may justify its construction.
But did the project receive an unintentional dismissal by Coats’ statement? Perhaps.
While the target may have been federal entitlement programs, it could cause investors, grant organizations or local government sources to hold back.
Folks on both sides of the reservoir issue want to judge the project on its merits or its faults. Instead, there might be collateral damage from Coats’ comment that could damage promotion of the concept.