The New York Times had a piece in its regional section this week that's started going viral upstate, and elsewhere in small town America. Entitled "District Liked Its Earmarks, Then Elected Someone Who Didn’t," the piece by reporter Raymond Hernandez is all about what's happening now that a Republican Congress is actually cutting projects that were deemed helpful, and even necessary, in rural areas like ours. They chart what's happening in the 19th Congressional District, won by Tea Party-backed Nan Hayworth from former musician John Hall, where "projects have drawn strong support from community activists, business leaders and local politicians of both major parties. But the stream of federal money that has long financed such projects, in this Hudson Valley district and elsewhere in the nation, is about to dry up." It gets a number of Republican local officials to go on the record against the past week's Congressional action, "prodded by outspoken newcomers like Ms. Hayworth," to essentially ban all money for projects that individual lawmakers slip into major Congressional budget bills to cater to local demands. "Now, civic activists, local officials and residents are scratching their heads, unpersuaded about the soundness of scrapping a system that has provided the district with money for libraries, parks, roads, bridges and the like." Interesting when abstract concepts hit real world examples. More on local projects started by Rep. Scott Murphy before losing to our newest Congressman Chris Gibson, who also ran against earmarks...