Pass the Pork
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find an example of pork barrel spending by Congress. You need to provide a brief description of who (member of Congress) and where (the state), what (the project) , and how much (your tax dollars). I need something contemporary though and not something from 1976 (that means 2008 if you aren't sure). 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.
According to the Citizens Against Government Waste there are 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts of the 2008 Federal Budget. A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures.
My example...In the current 2008 budget Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) got $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service on the campus of New York City College. It was co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Clinton and Sen. Schumer (ironically both are Democrats from NY). What a great idea to use public funds to help build something that has your name on it. Quite an honor!
This is an assignment not extra credit. 5 points and credit given to the first 28 original entries and is due by the start of class on Dec. 1st.
Happy hunting for "pork".
Mr. Thompson
posted by erdecker @ 6:29 PM
26 comments
26 Comments:
[Suzy Kent]
http://media.www.dailycampus.
com/media/storage/
paper340/news/2008/04/03/Commentary/
Fiscal.Irresponsibility.
Runs.Rampant.
In.D.c-3301306.shtml
In the current 2008 budget Representative Ann Eshoo (D-California) got $1.6 million for the Allen Telescope Array. The Allen Telescope Array is supposed to help in the research of extraterrestrial life/outerspace(astronomical research). The Allen Telescope Array was also sponsored by Ann Eshoo (ironically Eshoo represents California- the Allen Telescope Array is being/will be built in California ).
The following information was taken from the following website:
http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=574
The Allen Telescope Array is being constructed at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California.
About the Allen Telescope Array -
"The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a joint effort of the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. The ATA is a radio interferometer that is dedicated to cutting-edge astronomical research and a simultaneous search for signals of intelligent, extraterrestrial origin. It is being constructed at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California and will be composed of 350 antennas at completion. The ATA advances the
field of radio astronomy."
Implications -
"For scientists at the SETI Institute, the ATA offers not only its inherent speed, but also the simple advantage of being usable 24/7 for research and data collection. For radio astronomy, the ATA can scan more of the sky very rapidly and create precise measurements of distant celestial objects."
The 2008 Budget sets aside $3,148,803 for Senator Ted Stevens (of Alaska) distributed in the following ways: $968,175 for berry research, $818,232 for alternative salmon products, and $132,069 for native plant commercialization. Cool! I don’t even like salmon!
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia has porked over $3 billion dollars during his time; $326 million just in 2008 Fiscal year. He has been using our Tax money in order to build over 3 dozen bridges, highways, schools, and public buildings in West Virginia named after himself. He even has a statue of himself in front of the Capitol Rotunda in Charleston, even though state law prohibits statues of officials until they have been dead for 50 years. Honestly, great use of our tax money for buildings named Byrd.. hmm how great of a name too.
oops..heres my site:
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/commentary/34726439.html
Senator Harry Reid Of Nevada (D) has used $1,117,125 dollars to fund inspection/research of the Mormon Cricket this year. Seems like a lot for a little insect. Maybe if I changed my name to Catholic Cricket the government would spend that money on me.
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008_database
Senate member Patty Murray, of Washington, has set aside $4.5 million dollars by Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee for the 2010 Olympics Coordination Center in Bellingham, Washington. She said that it would allow federal, state, and local officials to meet, prepare and coordinate a response to any incident from one location. The thing that is funny to me is that the 2010 Olympics is going to be held in Vancouver, Canada. Why do we have to put all this money into something that is not going to hosted in the United States?
http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11562
House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) got $3 million for "The First Tee," a program designed to teach the game of golf to young people. This was slipped into the Defense Appropriations Bill.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,345371,00.html
House appropriator Adam Schiff (D-Ca.), Howard ”Buck“ McKeon (R-Ca.), and Mary Bono (R-Ca.)want to gather up $175,000 out of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, which really isn't much compared to other porkers nowadays, for the Autry National Center for the American West, which ”explores the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West."
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2008-07/11179775-pork-alert-labor-hhs-education-004.htm
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)of has secured $10 million dollars(of the $125 million of local spending) from the Fiscal year 2009 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill to be used for the San Antonio River Project. This is supposed to help improve the already scenic river. I have been there before it is AMAZING!!
http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4170
$742,764 by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for olive fruit fly research. Part of this money, $211,509, is to be spent in Paris, France.
Williams, David. "2008 Congressional Pig Book Summary." Citizens Against Government Waste. 2008. Citizens Against Government Waste. 30 Nov 2008 http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008#ag.
(sorry i couldn't put in some of the punctuation in the citation becuase html isn't accepted...)
Senators Roger Wicker (R) and Thad Cochran (R) of Mississippi received a total of $19,680,000 for a project that is supposed to reduce the amount of flooding, sediment, and erosion in the Yazoo Basin in NW Mississippi. $19 million dollars spent on a basin!
http://www.legistorm.com/earmark/13121.html
$92,033,216 for 25 projects by Senate appropriator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana (Democrat), including $1,850,000 for the removal of aquatic growth and $1,180,800 for materials and energy research at Tulane University in New Orleans.
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
U.S. Representative John Murtha (D-Pa) used $23 million for something called the National Drug Intelligence Center in his hometown of Johnstown, PA. Federal law enforcement officials call it a waste of money, and in 12 years of existence it has already used $350 million of tax money. What a great place to put a drug research center, in Pennsylvania!
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050509/9ndic.htm
$1,709,946 will be received from the 2008 budget by Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas)for sorghum research. You may be wondering what sorghum is, but don't worry; it's important. Sorghum is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. Like I said, very important.
http://www.cagw.org/site/DocServer/CAGW-Pig_Book_08.pdf?docID=3001
[STEPHEN HANDLON]
Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah)is a ranking member of the Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee. He received $14, 038, 041!! for 12 projects. Highlights include money for an agricultural research center in Logan, money for functional genomics research, mone for high performance computing, money for pasture research (?) and money for Utah conservation
Here is the URL Link:
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
The '08 budget has allowed for 3.3 million dollars to be used to fund research for Pierce's Disease. This project was supported by California democrats Mike Thompson (House) and Dianne Feinstein (Senate).
Although it is probably common knowledge, I will refresh your memories by informing you that Pierce's disease is a deadly bacterial disease...that targets grapevines. Wow, I'm sure glad our members of U.S. Congress are looking out for the safety of some of our favorite fruits!
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008_database
Isn't it nice to know that our new vice president(Joe Biden of Delaware)along with Thomas Carper of Delaware set aside $246,100 and for the Grand Opera House in Wilmington?
Featuring performances by Lewis Black and rock and roll legends David Crosby and Graham Nash shouldn't ticket sales not tax dollars be funding any work on the building?
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,42717,00.html
Who: Rep. Lois Capps, D-CA
Where: Santa Barbara, CA
What: Tatoo Removal Program part of the Justice Department appropriations bill
How much: $50,000
I found an interesting amount of money set aside ($4,800,000) by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) for air conditioning at Vista Del Sol, Twentynine Palms, California. I don't really have an witty comment about nearly 5 million dollars being spent on air conditioning in a town of 18000, so here's the link:
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
$23 million in agricultural projects for the state of Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., including $800,000 for imported red fireants.
...fire ants. Does that really say fire ants? ...frustrating...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,49837,00.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee chairman Sen. Tom Harkin(D-Iowa)recieves $78.5 million in labor and health and human services projects in Iowa. This includes $100,000 to encourage children to hold fairs displaying their inventions and $3 million for the Iowa Communications Network.
website:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,49837,00.html
Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) used a total of $15,115,446 for the following projects $3,723,750 for a Natural Products Lab; $2,780,400 for the Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center; $1,075,419 for the Agricultural Wildlife Conservation Center; $849,015 for genomics for southern crop stress and disease research; $511,395 for biotechnology research; and $229,383 for rural systems research. These projects were used to help agriculture in the Mississippi area.
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
-Sarah Anderson
One of the Alaska bridges, dubbed the "Bridge to Nowhere" by its critics, would connect one small town to a tiny island. It received $223 million in the highway bill that Congress passed this summer. The second bridge, named "Don Young's Way" in honor of its patron, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska), received about $230 million -- but that is just a down payment on a cost that could hit $1.5 billion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001931.html
Michaela A.
Harry Reid from Nevada got $20 million to help with insect infestation in Nevada. It was from an emergency war bill. There was also $100 million for Democratic and Republican conventions set aside.
I got it from
http://www.examiner.com/a-640957~Senate__emergency__war_bill_has_almost__20_billion_in_domestic_spending_tacked_onto_it.html
$390,000 by Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) for Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. The center’s website states: “Jazz we play it, we teach it, we write it, we dance it, we sing it, we present it, we photograph it, we film it, we produce it, we archive it, we record it, we broadcast it, we commission it, we celebrate it, we love it, we share it.” Perhaps they should pay for it, too.
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