Growls

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released their latest annual expose’ of pork-barrel spending on Tuesday. In this year’s effort, CAGW revealed 10,160 earmarks worth $19.6 billion. Examples of the wasteful spending cited by CAGW:

•    $3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy in Detroit

•    $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service in Connecticut

•    $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, Iowa

•    $380,000 for a recreation and fairgrounds area in Kotzebue, Ala

•    $143,000 for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association in Connecticut

•    $95,000 for the Canton Symphony Orchestra Association in Ohio

•    $71,000 for Dance Theater Etcetera in Brooklyn for its Tolerance through Arts initiative.

Here’s a summary of the effort: “The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget.  The 2009 Pig Book identified 10,160 projects at a cost of $19.6 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2009.  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.  To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition. ”

Nationally, per capita spending was $29.60 with Alaska and Hawaii leading the pack at $322.34 and $234.96 per capita. Virginia ranks number 38, receiving $24.24 per capita. The Commonwealth dropped 15 positions from the previous year.

Arlington, which is one of the richest counties in America, received several pieces of pork, thanks to U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D, including $712,500 for the Georgetown-Roslyn Connector and buses and bus facilities in the county. Explain that one to your grandchildren who will be paying for it.

You can access the entire pig book and the searchable database here. And bookmark the CAGW homepage.