April 6, 2008

OINK

Somehow, it seems appropriate that the annual “Pig Book” is issued on April Fools Day.

The compendium – issued by the non-partisan taxpayer-watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste – discloses mind-numbing details of 11,610 “Pork Barrel” projects inserted in appropriation bills by individual members of Congress without debate.

You’ve heard that “the evils of taxation without representation is tyranny” -- popular in our 1776 Revolution! That is nothing compared to taxation with representation.

This year, our representatives sneaked in $17.2 billion of back-home goodies without the usual committee scrutiny. “Gentlemen’s agreement.”

In the cutesy parlance of Congress-speak: “ear marks -- little turned down corners of money bills that Presidents overlook when signing bills into law.

As the late Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Il.) liked to opine sarcastically: “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon it adds up to real money.”

SQUEALS

Leading this year’s Oink Parade is Democrat presidential presumptive Sen. Hillary Clinton from New York -- with 281 spending projects totaling nearly $300 billion dollars.

Barack Obama -- the freshman senator for New York who jousts with Mrs. Clinton for the Democrat nomination -- wangled 53 special projects totaling $97.4 million.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tx.) squeezed onto the Oink list with 8 home-state projects totaling $22 million – mostly to spruce up a Galveston bridge.

Our very own Florida Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat, made the hit-parade with $1.5 million for a “dining facility” at Camp James E. Rudder near Ft. Walton Beach. There, Rangers train for dangerous jungle fighting.

One can wonder why such a training base requires an earmark for anything it needs. However, the intricacies of government spending defy rationality.

NON-SQUEALS

Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) – Republican candidate for the presidency, and co-author of the McCain-Feingold “Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2001 – did not ear-mark any “special projects.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.13) two months ago co-sponsored legislation imposing a moratorium on earmarks, but it failed to pass the House by a 204-196 vote. Close, but no cigar.

Maybe next time.

EARMARKS GALORE

There was a record 11,600 earmarks in the last fiscal year – while discombobulated liberals nit-picked the thickness of bullet-proof vests for American military fighters in Iraq, Afghanistan and the hinterland of Pakistan.

Champion rip-off – as usual – was Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) who wangled $386 million for his little state.

Most self-centered boondoggle is $3 million by House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for a “First Tee” program to teach children of servicemen how to play golf. The congressman is an avid golfer with a public golf-training center in Columbia, S.C., named for him and featuring his statue.

Most useless earmark was $l.95 million by Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY15) for the Charles B. Rangel Center For Public Service.

Nearly $8 million went to renovate 36 theaters in 21 states.

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) got $98,000 to develop a walking tour of historic Boydton, Virginia – population 454 according to latest census.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) slipped in $196,000 for restoration of an historic Post Office in Las Vegas,

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) got $98,000 to develop a walking tour of historic Boydton, Virginia - population 454 according to latest census.

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) went global with $742,000 for olive fruit fly research, which included $211,000 in France.

The Lobster Institute received an earmark gift of $188,000 - thanks to the cooperation of Maine's national lawmakers: Sen. Susan Collins ( R ), Sen. Olympia Snowe ( R ), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine).

The Sheep Institute of Montana was gifted $148,950 by Senators Max Baucus (D) and Jon Tester (D).

Chicago's "Green Streets Tree Planting Program" was prettied up with $344,540 earmarked by Sen, Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED

Citizens Against Government Waste conferred its

"Porker Of The Year Award" to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

Murtha runs his committee with an iron fist. The Citizens group relates a Murtha temper tantrum last year when his $23 million earmark was challenged by Republican Congressman Mike Rogers.

Bellowed Murtha: "I hope you don't have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone - and you will not get any earmarks now and forever, and that's the way I do it!"

In politics, money talks. "Here I am, Honey. Come and get me!"

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist