dc_dux

In tribute to Ustwo, I willfully and truthfully acknowledge that there are little piggies in both parties.



Citizens against Government Waste released its 2008 Congressional Pig Book today...its exposé of pork-barrel spending.:
The top porkers in the Senate:

Three Republicans (Cochran, Stevens, Shelby) followed by four Democrats (Landrieu, Byrd, Innouye, Murray)

The candidates:
Clinton - 281 projects, $296 million
Obama - 53 projects, $97 million

and kudos to McCain - 0 projects, $0

List of Senate porkers (pdf)

List of House porkers (pdf)

Are your members of Congress porkers? (search the database)

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

Derwood

not all pork projects are bad. i bet folks in Arizona wouldn't mind McCain getting them a little money for roads and bridges now and again

dc_dux

I agree that all earmarks are not bad....its the process that stinks. Earmarks should be much more transparent and directly tied to specific legislation and not slipped into larger spending bills.

I would also add that McCain's "no pork" record is a tad disingenuous. As I understand it, he just gives his list of "must have" pet projects to some of the Republican House members from Arizona and they take the hit for it. But Arizona is still at the bottom of the list, right there with two big blue states:



I am disappointed that the Democrats did not enact real earmark reform. They did at least impose a new requirement that Members must include their name on earmark requests with a justification of why its needed and not just slip them into appropriation bills in the middle of the night as has been done for years. The Republicans voted against it.

Pelosi said she will make stronger reform a priority this year (we'll see), but it could be a good election year issue.

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

smoore

I'm proud to see Colorado in the bottom five. We could use some serious cash to rebuild parts of the two interstates that get really pounded from interstate trucking though.

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smoore

ottopilot

dc ... thanks for bringing this up, one of my pet bipartisan gripes!

I'm down in FL for spring break and I promised the family not to post or surf. So while they're in the shower ...... too late.

Oh well ... it had to be a quicky. keep up the good work.

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"It rubs the lotion on Buffy, Jodi and Mr. French's skin" - Uncle Bill from Buffalo

loquitur

If a project is worthwhile at the local level, the local govt should fund it. I'm mystified about why federal money should get spent on this stuff, even if it's worthwhile. That's what we have state and local governments for.

dc_dux

It falls under the broad concept of revenue sharing.....sending federal tax dollars back to fund projects in the state from which it came......if its done responsibly through specific authorizations in legislation and not through earmarks hidden in appropriation bills .

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire