Rep. Marshall donates raise to children, vets

Saying he was inspired by his opponent's attack ad, U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall donated his congressional pay raise Tuesday to agencies that help disadvantaged children and disabled veterans.

Marshall said he gave $1,700 to the First Street Arts Center and $1,700 to the local chapter of the Disabled Veterans because he believes both should be supported, instead of taking money from one to support the other.

That, he said, is the choice that Republican candidate Calder Clay suggested in an ad when he criticized Marshall for voting against a measure that would have removed $12 million from the AmeriCorps program and given $5 million of the funds to research prosthetic devices for disabled veterans.

The arts center, run by Mid-State Children's Challenge, offers pre-kindergarten and after-school programs to more than 100 at-risk children, including some with disabilities.

Director Tom Glennon said without the 10 full-time and 35 part-time AmeriCorps staffers, the program would be in jeopardy. AmeriCorps and its local matching funds account for nearly half the center's budget.

AmeriCorps is a federally funded program that supports service work in education, public safety, health and the environment.

In a news release, Clay said, "Jim Marshall may not like it, but the facts are the facts: He had the chance to increase funding for medical research for disabled veterans, and he said no. ... Last week he said he voted to protect community policing and today it's something entirely different. Maybe next week will be something else."