I'm Posting This Early (Calendar says Wed)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find an example of pork spending by Congress. You need to provide a brief description of who and where (member of Congress and state), what (the project) , and how much (your tax dollars). I need something current though and not something from 1995. It needs to be original too; you can not post something one of your classmates has previously responded with.

If you can link us to the site great. Otherwise just copy the website address in your response.

If the info comes from a periodical, then cite it for us. Check the calendar for due date and happy hunting for "pork".

Some info you'll love:
This year, there was good news and bad news. For fiscal 2006, appropriators stuffed 9,963 projects into the 11 appropriations bills, a 29 percent decrease over last year’s total of 13,997. Despite the reduction in the number of earmarks, Congress porked out at record dollar levels with $29 billion in pork for 2006, or 6.2 percent more than last year’s total of $27.3 billion. In fact, the total cost of pork has increased by 29 percent since fiscal 2003. Total pork identified since 1991 adds up to $241 billion.
Even though Alaska led the nation with $489 per capita ($325 million), it was less than half of Alaska’s 2005 per capita number of $985. The runners up in 2006 were Hawaii with $378 per capita ($482 million) and the District of Columbia with $182 per capita ($100 million). Alaska’s drop can be attributed to Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) descent from the throne as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman. (Sorry Meghan for the bad news on your Senator)

Couple of examples of Pork:
Last year Senator Ted Steven's from Alaska asked for "some" money to help build a bridge in Alaska - 223 million dollars (of federal dollars) to build a bridge to link an island with about 50 people to a bustling city of 8000 people (Ketchican) on the mainland. This bridge became affectionately known as the Bridge to No Where. The bridge would span the vast Tongass Narrows (1/2 mile across) and allow people to drive instead of having to endure a grueling 7 minute ferry ride at the cost of $6 per car, $4 per pedestrian. Sen. Stevens drew the ire of the nation when in Oct. of 2005 he opposed Congress taking the money to be used on the bridge project and diverting it to aid for Hurricane Katrina. In his speech on the senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state.

This year, Congress has allocated 1 million dollars to study waterfree urinals. Another example of Congress doing their "dooty".

Assignment is due Wed. December 13th,
Enjoy,
Mr. Thompson