They are provisions often snuck into legislation not subject to legislative or public scrutiny that result in wasteful tax dollar spending that directly benefits Congressmen and their friends. Aptly called “pet projects,” “pork-barrel spending,” “earmarks” allow Congressmen to direct billions of our tax dollars to pet projects and preferred supporters, companies or organizations -- all without public debate or even a vote in Congress. Elected officials have too much vested interest in their own districts and re-election efforts, and earmarks are a tempting way to steer federal funds to meet their personal goals. Even worse, the existing process makes it easy for lawmakers to hide potentially problematic projects from daylight! Most earmarks are never fully made public and not subjected to an actual vote in Congress. Instead they are simply attached to legislation after the votes as part of Congress’ “report language.” So in essence, there is never accountability where earmarks are concerned.
Examples of Earmarks
Here are just a few of the most outrageous examples of earmarking over the last couple of years!
• $11 million for the Grape Research Center in NY (center doesn’t even exist despite more than $30 million in taxpayer funding since 2004)
• $2 million to the NAVY for “waterless urinals”
• $6 million to research new uses for wood
• $1 million to John Murtha’s non-existent recipient (Murtha did not defend the challenge, and the earmark was dropped)
• $1 million for the Hillary Clinton’s “Hippie” museum to honor Woodstock
• $500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum
• $13.5 to an Irish group that funds the World Toilet Summit
• $300,000 to analyze bear fur
• $100,000 to construct a fake prison as part of a museum
• $1.3 million for Raleigh, North Carolina to build a year round, “climate-controlled” park carousel
• $4.25 million for beach in Plum Island
• $63 million in unspent earmarks for the Michigan Dept. of Transportation (earmarks will be absorbed by the federal government).
• $2 million to repair and replace river crossing bridges on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail
• $3 million for a downtown Waterloo “river walk” trail loop on the Cedar, envisioned as part of the downtown Riverfront Renaissance project.
• Nearly $2 million for development of a children’s book illustration gallery at the Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls.
• New Hampshire Senators ask for $2 million earmark for state’s fisherman
• Pennsylvania Congressman brings home $185,000 earmark for truck drivers training
Introducing the Granddaddy of All Porkers…
Of course it’s the 90 year-old Senator from West Virginia, Robert C. Byrd. After 47 years on the Senate's powerful Appropriations Committee, Byrd has mastered congressional earmarks/add-ons to spending bills for projects back home like none other.
This earmarking “don” is the first Senator to accumulate more than $1 billion in earmarks for his state, and has amassed more than $3 billion since 1991, according to Citizens Against Government Waste.
All totaled, the Byrd name adorns more than 40 pet projects throughout ”Byrd” country, including The Robert C. Byrd highway, the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam, The Byrd Telescope, The Robert Byrd Hilltop Office Complex, the Robert C. Byrd Metals Fabrication Center, The Robert C. Byrd Institute and the Erma Ora Byrd Conference and Learning Center.
Earmarks in 2008
Over the last decade, earmarks have tripled in number and have increased spending by billions of dollars. Such earmarks are generally not included in legislative text and are not subject to an up or down vote of Congress.
In an effort to rein in runaway earmarks, President Bush told the Congress and the nation during the State of the Union Address that if earmarks were worth funding, “Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote.”
However, despite the President’s charge, Congressional appropriators are already soliciting requests for pet projects in 2008. That’s why 360 Degrees and other Conservative bloggers and organizations are calling for an immediate one-year moratorium on Earmarks.
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