No He just wants for the state, but at the same time does not want the government turning Texas into a communist state.

No. He merely recognizes that a fool and his money are soon parted, and he'd rather do the parting than get his funds parted under the current system.

of course lol, its texas, more need be said?

He's flirting with treason. And the noose.

no, he is just greedy

If that's true...someone should just plain beat his ass (and not only take his job away but also throw him out of the country). I mean what a prick.

He's a complete idiot. He talks of seceding from the union, yet Texas has received the most amount of FEMA funds this decade. How the heck would he pay for the cost to maintain his state? Let Mexico have them!

NO. Just a typical Texan politician and arrogant in addition to being ignorant.

He's a Texan. Hypocrite, is just a redundancy, when it comes to describing Texans.

Rick Perry is a political gasbag just like all the other political gasbags. As to rebuilding the governors mansion, sure, why not? After all everybody else is getting some: By the way, the mansion built in 1856 burned last year-http://www.txfgm.org/ Courtesy of Citizens Against Government Waste $4,545,000 for wood utilization research in 10 states by 19 senators and 10 representatives. This research has cost taxpayers $95.3 million since 1985. One would think that after 24 years of research all the purposes for one of the world’s most basic construction materials would have been discovered. $2,192,000 by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), then-House appropriator JamesWalsh (R-N.Y.), and Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) for the Center for Grape Genetics in Geneva. New York’s wine and grape industries generate $6 billion annually in sales. Taxpayers should not have been soaked for this money. $1,791,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member TomHarkin (D-Iowa) for swine odor and manure management research in Ames. According to the Agriculture Research Service’s website, the purpose of the research is to “generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion, malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.” In an effort to defend his earmark on the Senate floor, Sen. Harkin summed up its ridiculous nature succinctly: “I’m sure that David Letterman will probably be talking about it and Jay Leno will be talking about it, we’ve got $1.8 million to study why pigs smell.” $1,762,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), House appropriator Chet Edwards (D-Texas), and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas) for a honey bee lab in Weslaco. $866,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for stable fly control in Lincoln. $469,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), and Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) for a fruit fly facility in Hawaii. $413,000 by Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), then-Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.), and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) for tri-state joint peanut research. Since 1997, CAGW has uncovered nine earmarks worth $4,460,975 for peanut research. $303,000 by then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) for wild rice in St. Paul. Five projects worth $815,725 have been earmarked for Minnesota’s state grain since 1999. $254,000 by Senate appropriator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for the Montana Sheep Institute. According to the organization’s website, “The Montana Sheep Institute (MSI) is a cooperative project betweenMontanaWool GrowersAssociation and Montana State University. The MSI is dedicated to developing and implementing nontraditional adjustment strategies that will increase the competitiveness of Montana’s lamb and wool in the world market. Our goal is to explore opportunities to increase the utilization of sheep in weed management programs and improve the profitability and competitiveness of theMontana Sheep Industry.” Since 2002, CAGWhas uncovered seven earmarks worth $3,033,950 for theMontana Sheep Institute. This is money b-a-a-a-a-a-a-dly spent. $245,000 by Senate appropriator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), House appropriator NormDicks (D-Wash.), and Reps. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) for Aegilops cylindrica, or jointed goat grass, in Idaho and Washington. According to the farming reference website Oneplan.org, jointed goat grass is native to southern Europe and western Asia and is similar to wheat. $243,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), and Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) andMazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) for floriculture. According to an July 9, 2008 Pacific Business News article, “Hawaii’s floriculture and nursery products industry continued to grow in 2007, bringing in $105.9 million, nearly $5 million more than the record set in 2005.” With recent record-setting sales, surely the industry could do without federal earmarks. Since 1995, CAGWhas exposed 22 earmarks worth $12,324,841 for floriculture. $206,000 for wool research in three states (Montana, Texas, and Wyoming) by Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas). Since 1995, CAGW has uncovered 13 earmarks worth $3,417,453 for wool research, always in the same three states. While 47 states have figured out that wool can be best used to make a warm sweater, Montana, Texas, and Wyoming apparently are still trying to work out its practical utilizations. $173,000 by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), then-Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine), and Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) for lowbush blueberry research. According to an August 10, 2008 article on Newsday.com, Maine produces 99 percent of the nation’s lowbush blueberries; the research should be funded solely by the state. Since 1995, 14 projects worth $3,174,705 have been earmarked for such research. $139,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) for the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). According to its website, the ISSC was formed in 1982 to “foster and promote shellfish sanitation through the cooperation of state and federal control agencies, the shellfish industry, and the academic community.” II. Commerce, Justice, Science In fiscal year 2008 the number of projects in the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Act decreased by 13 percent while the cost dropped 47 percent. This year, the number and total cost of projects fell again. The number of projects decreased by 10.6 percent, from 1,731 in fiscal year 2008 to 1,548 in fiscal year 2009. The cost was down by 7.1 percent, from $1 billion to $936.8 million. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, administered by the Department of Justice, accounted for 37.8 percent of the total number of projects (585) and 23.5 percent of the cost ($220.1 million). In fiscal year 2008, the Office of Management and Budget’s Program Assessment Rating Tool gave the COPS program a “results not demonstrated” rating, which “indicates that a program has not been able to develop acceptable performance goals or collect data to determine whether it is performing.” $80,655,000 for 86 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), including: $900,000 for fish management at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab; $800,000 for the University of South Alabama for oyster rehabilitation in Mobile; $500,000 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for public education in Mobile; $500,000 for NOAA for the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile for education exhibits; $475,000 for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville for missions systems recording, archival, and retrieval; $400,000 for the McWane Science Center in Birmingham for education and science literacy programs; and $100,000 under the COPS program for the Talladega County Commission to make radio upgrades. $41,065,000 for 26 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), including: $1,000,000 for the University of Maryland College Park for its Advanced Study Institute for Environmental Prediction to study climate impacts and adaptation in the Mid-Atlantic region; $1,000,000 for Coppin State University, Towson University, and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute to partner on a program to increase the number and quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers in the region's public schools; $550,000 for the NOAA Chesapeake Bay office for blue crab research; $500,000 for the NOAA Chesapeake Bay office for a network of environmental observation platforms; and $500,000 to Charles County public schools for a digital classroom project. $32,950,000 for 17 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $7,100,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of endangered Hawaiian sea turtle populations; $2,600,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of the critically endangered monk seal population and conservation of Pacific crustaceans; $2,000,000 for the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii; $1,750,000 for the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii to conduct systematic and reliable climatographic research of the Pacific region; $1,500,000 for NOAA to create and implement an integrated system-wide ocean science education program piloted in Hawaii’s schools; $1,250,000 for the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at the University of Hawaii to conduct research on open ocean fisheries in the Pacific Ocean; and $700,000 for NOAA for the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative at the University of Hawaii to support monitoring and research activities on Hawaii’s coral reefs. $11,655,000 for 23 projects by House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $1,750,000 for the West Virginia University Environmental Center in Morgantown; $750,000 for the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources for a stream restoration program; $300,000 for the National Youth Science Foundation for the Youth Science Discovery Experience and Science Camp Curriculum; $250,000 for the World Vision Appalachia at-risk youth programming; and $75,000 each under the COPS Law Enforcement Technology Program for police departments in Benwood (population: 1,446), Bridgeport (population: 7,782), Cameron (population: 1,093), Chester (population: 2,346), Glen Dale (population: 1,417), Glenville (population: 1,465), Grafton (population: 5,311), Kingwood (population: 2,942), Mannington (population: 2,089), McMechen (population: 1,750), New Martinsville (population: 5,585), and St. Mary’s (population: 1,900). Based on those 2007 Census population estimates, that is $900,000 for 35,126 West Virginia residents, or $25.62 per capita. $8,350,000 for 15 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), including: $1,000,000 for the Burlington Technical Center to upgrade and improve the post-secondary aviation program; $500,000 for the University of Vermont Complex Systems Center for Informed Decision-Making and Design to develop intelligent systems design and adaptive robotics; $400,000 for the Vermont Global Trade Partnership in Montpelier to help small businesses participate in trade missions (despite Sen. Leahy’s continued votes against free trade agreements, including the Peru Free Trade Agreement in 2007); and $200,000 for Rutland COPS technology funding. $6,700,000 for 11 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) including: $750,000 for law enforcement research and development at the University of New Hampshire; $350,000 for the Appalachian Mountain Club Climate Change and Air Pollutant Impacts to New England’s Rare Alpine Zone; $300,000 for the University of New Hampshire for weather and air quality research; $200,000 for continued weather technology and observation at Plymouth State University; $150,000 for the Nashua Police Department Athletic League’s Youth Safe Haven program; $100,000 to continue efforts to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan for Lake Winnipesaukee; and $100,000 for the New Hampshire Lakes Association to prevent the spread of exotic aquatic weeds, such as milfoil, in the state’s lakes. $5,750,000 for nine projects by House appropriator Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), including: $1,100,000 for the Drew University Environmental Science Initiative; $300,000 for the Fairleigh Dickinson University Law Enforcement Distance Education Project; $200,000 for the County College of Morris planetarium; and $150,000 for traffic safety improvements in the town of Bridgewater. This spring, the Drew University Department of Environmental Studies hosted an “Environmental Film Festival” (“Fast Food Nation” premiered on March 2). On March 26, the department hosted spoken word artist George Watsky who, according to the department’s website, “is deeply involved in the sustainability movement and whose work highlights both the frustrations and humor of modern life.” In one of Watsky’s spoken word performances, he blames Hurricane Katrina on global warming and says we are “driving ourselves off a cliff with a bag of money in the trunk.” $3,000,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) for the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to help make data received from NASA satellite images more accessible to the public. Apparently the two senators have not heard of NASA TV. According to the NASA website, “The NASA TV Public and Educational channels are ‘free-to-air,’ meaning your cable or satellite service provider can carry them at no cost.” Interested viewers should contact their local cable or satellite service provider to get NASA TV, and ask the senators for a rebate of their share of that $3 million. $2,000,000 for textile research by House appropriator David Price (D-N.C.): $1,000,000 for the Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation in Cary and $1,000,000 for North Carolina State University in Raleigh. $1,200,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), for equipment for at the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Pell Library and Undersea Exploration Center. According to the Providence Journal, URI broke ground on the Undersea Exploration Center in 2007 after the state’s voters approved a $14 million bond measure for the project (at least Rhode Island taxpayers got to vote on whether or not to give money to the Exploration Center). The total cost of the Exploration Center was to be $15 million with the “remaining $1 million of the projected cost … secured through private donations.” Apparently, “private” means “taxpayers.” $900,000 by Reps. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), and then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) for equipment for the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago. In a March 13, 2009 article in the Chicago Tribune jabs were exchanged in reference to the project when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) referred to the project as an overhead projector. According to the article, “The machine is actually a sophisticated $3 million to $5 million light-projection system that beams images of the stars, planets and galaxies onto the ceiling. The museum wants to spend millions to update its original, 78-year-old domed Sky Theater auditorium, including replacement of the huge, 40-year-old Zeiss planetarium projection system, which is falling into disrepair. The Zeiss machine is so old that the German manufacturer longer has employees who know how to fix it. … Most of the funding will come from private and corporate donations.” The Adler Planetarium’s 2007 tax return showed a fund balance of $31 million; the $900,000 taxpayer “contribution” represents less than 3 percent of that amount. $850,000 by Senate appropriator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for a research initiative at Iowa State University to improve understanding of surface winds and their damaging effects. $700,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green to complete a monitoring system that will collect real-time weather observations through a statewide grid of stations in Kentucky. Apparently the Weather Channel is not sufficient. $500,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) for the Newark Museum for an interactive platform for education of astronomy, space, and planetary science. $500,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) for the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation in Houston to create “a virtual space community for students.” $500,000 by House appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) for the Nature Conservancy of Middletown, Conn. and Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. for the southern New England seagrass research and restoration project. $250,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and House appropriator Sam Farr (D-Calif.) for the bluefin tuna tagging and research program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. $200,000 by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) for the Providence Holy Cross Foundation tattoo removal violence prevention program in Mission Hills. In fiscal 2002 there was a $50,000 earmark for a tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo, in the district of Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.). It is now time for a pork removal program. $150,000 by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), then-Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine), and Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) for the Maine Department of Natural Resources to conduct lobster research. The Heritage Foundation noted that, “According to the State of Maine, the ‘Lobster Program’ has collected statistics on the commercial and natural population of lobsters along the Maine coast for 30 years.” $115,000 by House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Mike Honda (D-Calif.) for a program at San Jose State University to train the next generation of weather forecasters. $100,000 by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and then-Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) for the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation to provide economic relief to Maine lobstermen. Although lobster prices are falling, The New York Times noted on September 1, 2008 that, “lobster fishermen are hauling in larger catches than ever.” $50,000 by House appropriator Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) for the Pulaski County Sheriff Department for helicopter improvements. III. Defense On the strength of an extremely expensive collection of “anonymous” projects, which do not contain the name of any representative or senator, dollar amounts in the 2009 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Act skyrocketed by 53.5 percent, from $7.3 billion in fiscal year 2008 to $11.2 billion in fiscal year 2009. The absence of such information violates congressional rules and contradicts repeated claims of more transparency in the appropriations process. Since the number of projects increased by only 1.1 percent, from 2,108 in fiscal year 2008 to 2,131 in fiscal year 2009, it would not have been too much work to fill in the blanks. The DOD Appropriations Act proved yet again that given the opportunity members of Congress would rather fund parochial projects instead of the Pentagon’s defense priorities. $6,430,414,000 for 142 anonymous projects. This accounted for 6.6 percent of the earmarks and 57 percent of the cost in the bill. There were several big-ticket items, including: $523,000,000 for advance procurement for 20 F-22A’s; $200,000,000 for advance procurement of the DDG-51 Naval Ship (the DDG-51 program received two earmarks worth $10,300,000 in fiscal year 2008); $88,000,000 for one C-40 aircraft; and $70,230,000 for one C-37B aircraft. $465,000,000 for the continued development of the F-136 engine as an alternative engine in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The JSF is $55 billion over its budgeted cost, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Congress has added funding for an additional engine in order to supposedly increase competition and flexibility for pilots. However, according to a February 24, 2009 United Press International article, the money was allotted, “despite the fact that the winning engine had already prevailed in half a dozen public and private competitions and despite the fact that no other part of the plane would be competed once production commenced.” CBS News reported on July 30, 2007 that the Air Force and two independent panels concluded that the second engine is “not necessary and not affordable” and that the professed savings from competition “will never be achieved.” No wonder that all 435 representatives and 100 senators refused to be identified with this massive waste of tax dollars. $204,400,000 for 34 projects by then-Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: four projects totaling $34,600,000 for the Joint National Training Capability-Red Flag/Northern Edge Training Range, $16,000,000 for a C-17 assault landing zone, and $2,000,000 for hibernation genomics. Sen. Stevens has long been known as a preeminent porker. Since 1995, a whopping 1,489 projects worth $3.6 billion were added to appropriations bills for the state of Alaska in the Senate or by Sen. Stevens himself during his time in Congress. While his projects still appear in the three appropriations bills passed in 2008 (Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction), Sen. Stevens’ name was removed from any projects in the appropriations bills included in the Omnibus Appropriations Act which passed the Senate on March 10, 2009. It is not clear why the Appropriations Committee removed Sen. Stevens’ name from the Omnibus Act, other than distinguishing among a deceased member, defeated members, and Cabinet members, all of whom were identified as receiving earmarks in the legislation. Prior to his defeat last November, Sen. Stevens had been the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, having held the seat for 40 years. CAGW will always fondly remember Sen. Stevens for his kind words regarding the organization, which he stated in an Associated Press article on December 26, 1999: “All they are is a bunch of psychopaths.” $190,000,000 for 33 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $23,000,000 for the Hawaii Federal Healthcare Network, $9,900,000 for the U.S.S. Missouri (which costs $16 for an adult to tour and receives 100,000 annual visitors), and $3,600,000 for intelligent decision exploration. That is something many members of Congress should be doing. $186,440,000 for 45 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $32,600,000 for a light utility helicopter, $8,000,000 for the Extremely Large, Domestic Expendable and Reusable Structures Manufacturing Center, and $4,400,000 for the Army Center of Excellence in Acoustics. $151,760,000 for 31 projects by then-Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $38,000,000 for the ABL Restoration Plan, $20,000,000 for records digitization and repository modernization at the AFIP/Joint Pathology Center, and $7,000,000 for the Institute of Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Systems. On November 7, 2008 Sen. Byrd resigned from his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He was replaced by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the former second-ranking Democrat. The longest serving senator in history, Sen. Byrd helped to make the Appropriations Committee what it is today the congressional epicenter of earmarks. $114,800,000 for 53 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Young (R-Fla.), including: $4,500,000 for comprehensive maritime domain awareness, $2,400,000 for the Air Warrior-Joint Service Vacuum Packed Life Raft, and four projects for $4,200,000 for a Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team in Florida. $102,800,000 for 27 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.), including $24,500,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Last year, Rep. Murtha earmarked $23,000,000 for the NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ). However, the DOJ has asked Congress to shut the NDIC down because its operations are duplicative. In addition, prior to the center’s opening in August of 1993, the GAO stated it was a waste of money and redundant of efforts to combat drugs in Washington as well as a center on the Mexican border. In November 2008, FBI agents raided the offices of the PMA Group, a lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. Murtha. Founded by Paul Magliochetti, a former appropriations staffer for Rep. Murtha, PMA specializes in directing defense earmarks to its clients, many of which have been requested by the Pennsylvania Democrat. PMA is the second lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. Murtha to be raided in recent months; in January 2009, agents from the FBI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Internal Revenue Service raided the offices of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems. According to a January 23, 2009 Politico article, Kuchera and its employees have donated more than $65,000 to Rep. Murtha’s election campaign and political action committee. $101,840,000 for 48 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $3,000,000 for the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center, $1,600,000 for conversion of municipal solid waste to renewable diesel fuel, and $800,000 for the Delaware Valley Continuing Education Initiative for the National Guard and Reserve. $101,660,000 for 43 projects by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), including: $4,000,000 for the Center for Autonomous Solar Power, $1,600,000 for an advanced steam turbine, and $1,600,000 for the Future Fuel Non-Tactical Vehicle Initiative. $94,610,000 for 34 projects by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), including: $5,000,000 for the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center, $4,750,000 for Project SOAR, and $3,000,000 for Special Olympics International. In the event that the Special Olympics makes a profit, they should refund this money. $89,020,000 for 42 projects by Senate appropriator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), including: $2,400,000 for a green armaments/rangesafe program, $1,600,000 for conversion of municipal solid waste to renewable diesel fuel, and $800,000 for Malaria and Dengue Fever mosquito born disease prevention, which is not a problem in New Jersey. $2,000,000 by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP). According to the Central Intelligence Agency, PRISP “provides monetary incentive to college students who pursue studies in critical language specialties, area studies, and technical and scientific specialties.” A 2005 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted that, “[t]he Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program is seen by some observers as a long-overdue effort to remedy the federal government's collective ignorance about foreign lands. Other scholars, however, view the semisecret program as a profound threat to universities’ integrity and to the ethical norms of social science.” Sen. Roberts earmarked $1.6 million for PRISP in fiscal year 2008. $1,280,000 by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) for the Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, Washington. Dedicated to “collecting, preserving, and interpreting the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and general public,” admission to the Puget Sound Navy Museum is free. Rep. Dicks directed $1 million to the museum in fiscal year 2008. $1,240,000 for two projects for Brown Tree Snakes control and interdiction in Guam by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam). Since 1996, 14 projects worth $14.6 million have been earmarked in Hawaii and Guam for interdiction of Brown Tree Snakes, which are still slithering through the appropriations bill. IV. Energy and Water There is some relatively good news in the fiscal year Energy and Water Appropriations Act: earmarks in the bill are back down to their fiscal year 2006 levels after climbing sharply in fiscal year 2008. The number of projects decreased by 46.3 percent, from 1,782 in fiscal year 2008 to 957 in fiscal year 2009. The total cost of the projects was 42.5 percent less than in fiscal year 2008, falling from $3.8 billion to $2.2 billion. $87,025,702 for 28 projects by then-Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $18,000,000 for middle Rio Grande restoration; $4,757,500 for climate change modeling capability; $3,828,000 for New Mexico environmental infrastructure; $1,914,000 for Army Corps of Engineers construction of the Acequias irrigation system; $1,903,000 for the La Samilla Solar Through Storage Project; $1,903,000 for the Center of Excellence and Hazardous Materials; and $200,000 for the middle Rio Grande endangered species collaborative program. $70,705,675 for 53 projects by Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including: $8,000,000 for the Bay Area regional water recycling program; $2,871,000 for San Ramon Valley recycled water; $2,677,000 for Army Corps of Engineers investigations on the South San Francisco shoreline; $885,000 for deepening the main channel and the Port of Los Angeles; $670,000 for abandoned mine restoration; $239,000 for a Carpinteria shoreline study; $110,000 for Coyote Dam; and $96,000 for the Malibu Creek watershed. $65,081,778 for 17 projects by Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), including: $17,048,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers Lake Sakakawea construction project; $10,000,000 for environmental infrastructure in N.D.; $4,757,500 for the Center for Nanoscale Energy; $2,188,450 for the Bismarck State College Center for Excellence Laboratories; $2,000,053 for biomass utilization at the Energy and Environmental Research Center; and $380,600 for Red River Valley Research Corridor technology development. $44,139,929 for 23 projects by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $18,000,000 for Army Corps of Engineers construction in rural Nevada; $4,780,000 for Truckee Meadows; $3,000,000 for Tahoe Basin restoration; $2,749,000 for Bureau of Reclamation water projects in North Las Vegas; $1,189,375 for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation’s Alternative Energy School of the Future in Clark County; $761,200 for a solar lighting demonstration project; $713,625 for Algal-Base Renewable Energy for Nevada; $682,778 for the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy; $475,750 for the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization; $386,000 for a carbon-neutral green campus; and $142,725 for a plug-in hybrid vehicle demonstration program in Las Vegas. $35,260,250 for 24 projects by Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.), including: $1,903,000 with scandal-plagued then-Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) for a clean power energy research consortium; $735,000 for Livingston Parish; $478,000 for the Port of Iberia; $400,000 for East Baton Rouge Parish; $287,000 for Spring Bayou; $254,000 for the city of Gretna; $229,000 for Cross Lake; $119,000 for ecosystem restoration of the Amite River and its tributaries; $191,000 for Bossier Parish; and $155,000 for the Calcasieu River and pass navigation. $25,581,500 for 16 projects by then-House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member David Hobson (R-Ohio), including: $2,000,000 for environmental infrastructure at Springfield Hospital; $1,427,250 for Wilberforce University; $1,000,000 for Ohio environmental infrastructure along Route 41 in Prime; $951,500 for the biorefining for energy security project at Ohio University-Lancaster; $951,500 for science education facility renovations at Ohio Christian University; and $500,000 for Ohio environmental infrastructure in Upper Hocking. $18,304,125 for 33 projects by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), including the following Army Corps of Engineers investigations projects: $297,000 for Jamaica Bay; $191,000 for Montauk Point; $119,000 for the Forge River Watershed on Long Island; $119,000 for Hashamomuck Cove in Southold; $119,000 for Lake Montauk Harbor; $96,000 for the Upper Delaware River Watershed; $96,000 for the South Shore of Staten Island; $96,000 for Westchester County streams; $96,000 each for the North Shore of Long Island in Asharoken and Bayville; and $24,000 for the Ten Mile River Watershed in Dutchess and Litchfield counties. $20,422,414 for 11 projects by House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), including: $4,000,000 for Army Corps of Engineers construction in the Calumet region; $2,000,000 for Army Corps of Engineers construction along the Lake Michigan waterfront; $1,600,000 for Indiana shoreline erosion; $1,450,000 for the small boat harbor on Burns Waterway; and $951,500 for the Purdue Calumet Inland Water Institute. $10,000,000 for the Denali Commission. Even though the Denali Commission was established by then-Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in 1999, funding still continues. $6,422,625 for six projects for clients of a lobbying firm under federal investigation for making campaign donations in exchange for political favors for the firm’s clients, including: $1,189,375 for Solar Energy Windows and Smart IR Switchable Building Technologies in Pennsylvania, by Senate appropriator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), and Reps. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) and Michael Doyle (D-Pa.); $951,500 for DIRECT Methanol Fuel Cell in Indiana, by House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.); and $951,500 for Adaptive Liquid Crystal Windows in Ohio, by House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) offered an amendment to strip these earmarks from the Omnibus Appropriations Act, but the effort failed by a vote of 43 to 52. $951,500 by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and House appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) for downtown Detroit energy efficient street lighting. That’s the least of the city’s problems. $713,625 by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) for a renewable energy research project at the Miami Science Museum. $475,750 by then-Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) for the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR). According to NCCAR’s website, “NCCAR is uniquely positioned to meet the demanding research and testing challenges of the automotive industry.” A March 11, 2009 Charlotte Observer article noted that Concord, N.C.-based Speedway Motorsports, which owns seven major tracks, “reported a 2008 profit of about $80 million, more than double its 2007 profit of $38.4 million. Its fourth-quarter loss was about $4.9 million, compared with a $20.2 million loss a year earlier.” $475,750 by Senate appropriator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) for research into long term environmental and economic impacts of the development of a coal liquefaction sector in China. $47,575 by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for the Harlem United supportive housing fund wind power project. While the organization’s website claims to serve an important need in the community, there is no mention of why they need money from the Department of Energy for wind power. V. Financial Services While totals are down in most appropriations bills, there was a substantial increase in pork in the fiscal year 2009 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. The number of projects increased by 22.8 percent, from 215 in fiscal year 2008 to 264 in fiscal year 2009, while dollar amounts increased by 47.9 percent, from $98.7 million in fiscal year 2008 to $145.9 million in fiscal year 2009. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has long been a bastion for pork, and this trend continued in fiscal year 2009. $41,500,000 for three projects funding presidential libraries: $22,000,000 by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts; $17,500,000 by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York; and $2,000,000 by Senate appropriator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. All three of these libraries received funding last year, bringing their combined two-year earmark total to $54,010,000. In addition, each library receives an annual operating subsidy from the National Archives and Records Administration; the JFK Library receives $3,883,000 annually, the LBJ Library receives $2,935,000 annually (and is the only presidential library that does not charge admission), and the FDR Library receives $1,640,000 annually. $2,135,000 for six projects for trade centers funded through the SBA by Senate Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee member Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Senate appropriator Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), then-Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), House appropriator Dennis Rehberg (R-Mont.), and Reps. David Dreier (R-Calif.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), and Rob Bishop (R-Utah) in six states (California, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Utah). $245,643 by House appropriator Marion Berry (D-Ark.) for the Arkansas Commercial Driver Training Institute at Arkansas State University-Newport, funded through the SBA. According to a February 27, 2009 press release on Rep. Berry’s website, the Commercial Driver Training Institute “is a national leader in entry-level and enhanced commercial driver training for the over-the-road sector of the transportation industry. Funds will be utilized to improve ASU-Newport’s Driver Skills Training Range.” $98,257 by House appropriator James Moran (D-Va.) in SBA money for the Georgetown Metro Connection, a bus service that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to the neighborhood of Dupont Circle in D.C. and to Rosslyn, Virginia, conveniently located in Rep. Moran’s district. VI. Homeland Security The amount of taxpayers’ money wasted on Homeland Security pork has continued its decline over the past two years from its peak in fiscal year 2007 at $2.4 billion. The number of projects in this year’s Homeland Security Appropriations Act decreased 8.9 percent, from 124 in fiscal year 2008 to 113 in fiscal year 2009, while the dollar amount decreased 22.1 percent, from $294.8 million in fiscal year 2008 to $229.6 million in fiscal year 2009. $39,700,000 by then-Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), for the Advanced Training Center. Sen. Byrd also allotted $39,700,000 for the Advanced Training Center in fiscal year 2008, bringing the two-year total of funding to $79,400,000. A July 7, 2006 CongressDaily article cited the duplicative nature of the center: “But now at least one senior House Republican wants the expansion of the center stopped, saying it is not needed and is creating redundancies to training provided at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which is headquartered in Glynco, Ga. … Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., whose district includes the Glynco headquarters, said in an interview he will work to remove funding for the Advanced Training Center expansion. ‘If it survived the Senate, we would work hard to get it killed in conference committee,’ said Kingston, vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. Kingston has been a staunch supporter of FLETC and said he is confident it can handle the training needs for CBP. ‘I don’t see any need for this advanced training center,’ he said.” $27,000,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), then-Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) for the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI) in Tennessee. The SERRI website says it “is a ground breaking program managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the US Department of Homeland Security to assist local, state and tribal leaders in developing the tools and methods required to anticipate and forestall terrorist events and to enhance disaster response. SERRI combines science and technology with validated operational approaches to address regionally unique requirements and suggest regional solutions with potential national implications.” DHS apparently does not believe SERRI is critical as there was no budget request for the program. $24,807,728 for 51 projects for FEMA Predisaster Mitigation by 65 members of Congress in 27 states, including towns such as Rainbow City, Alabama (population 8,428), and Taylorsville, Kentucky (population 1,208). The Predisaster Mitigation Program provides competitively awarded funds to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning. While members of Congress have criticized FEMA for its mismanagement, they are making the agency’s job even harder by usurping its authority and forcing it to administer grants that may not meet the program’s criteria. $22,345,000 for 33 projects for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) State and Local Programs by 67 members of Congress, spread among 22 states, including towns such as Poynette, Wisconsin (population 2,520), and Bellerose, New York (population 1,120). VII. Interior After falling by 40 percent in fiscal year 2008, the cost of Interior appropriations is on the rise. Fiscal year 2009 Interior Appropriations Act earmarks will set taxpayers back $433.7 million, up 7.4 percent from $403.8 million in fiscal year 2008. The number of projects in the bill decreased by 2.3 percent, from 556 in fiscal year 2008 to 543 in fiscal year 2009. The Save America’s Treasures (SAT) program is still a prime spot for pork. Fifty-five earmarks totaling $10 million are included in the fiscal year 2009 bill. According to the SAT website, in 2008 there were 40 grants totaling $10.5 million that were competitively awarded. An additional $13.6 million, or 56 percent of the $24.1 million was “awarded” through congressional earmarks. On a positive note, there are no projects for opera houses in the fiscal year 2008 Interior Appropriations Act. However, with projects for lighthouses, museums, and historic post offices, there is still more tragedy in the bill than taxpayers should have to bear. $73,690,000 for 35 projects by Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including: $5,600,000 for two projects at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; $5,000,000 for San Francisco Bay restoration grants; $1,250,000 for the Angel Island Immigration Station; $800,000 for a tunnel at Yosemite National Park; and $460,000 for the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. In November 2008, Whiskeytown participated in the National Park Service’s Artists-in-Residence Program. Participants include sculptors, painters, land-artists, and video artists, who get to spend up to four weeks in an “artist’s cabin … to produce new works.” $22,905,000 for 18 projects by Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $2,446,000 for three earmarks for Monongahela National Forest trails, roads, and facilities; $2,250,000 for the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge; $2,000,000 for Harper’s Ferry National Historic Park; $1,500,000 for telecommunications and roads at the National Conservation Training Center; $1,000,000 for the Ohio River Sanitation Commission for organic detection system improvements; and $125,000 for Fisherman’s Hall in Charles Town, which, “Since its construction in the 1880s, … has been used by a variety of benevolent societies, including the Grand United Order of Galilean Fishermen.” $21,600,000 for 12 projects by Senate appropriator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $3,500,000 for the Glatfelter Tree Farm; $1,000,000 for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; $500,000 for a wastewater improvement project in Reading and $200,000 for a wastewater improvement project in Milford. $16,000,000 for eight projects by then-Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Larry Craig (R-Idaho), including: $2,000,000 for Henry’s Lake; $350,000 for the Minidoka National Historic Site; and $250,000 for the Idaho Sage Grouse. According to Greg Thomas in the Tight Lines Rocky Mountain Fly Fishing Forecast, Henry’s Lake is thriving. Thomas calls Henry’s Lake “one of the most productive trout waters on the planet” and quotes Dan Garren of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, who said, “The fish are phenomenal … It’s just freakin’ incredible how fast they are growing. At age three our hybrids are 17 inches long and the cutthroats are 16 inches. Our brook trout are 20 inches by age 5. You can catch a 5- to 7-pound hybrid in this lake without much trouble.” They are also good at catching the taxpayers’ money. $13,650,000 for nine projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $7,000,000 for the James Campbell Wildlife Refuge; $750,000 for the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology; $500,000 for the Native Hawaiian culture and arts program; and $300,000 for the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ‘Ala), the final resting place for most of Hawaiian royalty. According to several online resources, Mauna ‘Ala is the only place in Hawaii where the state flag flies alone without the U.S. flag. $12,610,000 for 10 projects by then-Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), including four projects with President Obama’s new Interior Secretary, then-Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.): $2,500,000 for Snow Mountain Ranch; $1,250,000 for Uncompahgre National Forest; $800,000 for water quality in Eagle County; and $500,000 for wastewater infrastructure in Pueblo. It will be difficult for President Obama to make good on his promise to cut wasteful spending and earmarks with committed pork-barrelers at his side. $11,120,000 for eight projects by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), including: $5,000,000 for lighthouse improvements at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; $2,000,000 for the CheQuamegon-Nicolet National Forest; $1,250,000 for two projects along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail; and $45,000 for the Medford Carnegie Library. $6,863,000 for 12 projects by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $1,500,000 for exhibits, trails, and the amphitheater at the California National Historic Trail Interpretive Center; $250,000 for the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout; and $150,000 for the St. Augustine Church in Austin, Nev. According to Preservation magazine, Jan Morrison purchased St. Augustine Church, the state’s oldest Roman Catholic church, in 2004 from the Reno Diocese for $26,000. After restoration is complete, Morrison wants to use the church for “conferences, art performances, weddings, family reunions and other events.” $4,850,000 for 13 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $500,000 for the Mississippi Forest Legacy Program; $350,000 for Hawkins Field in Jackson; and $100,000 for the West Point Historic Post Office. The Mississippi Forest Legacy Program seems like nothing more than an effort to prevent progress and development. According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, 80 percent of Mississippi forests are owned by private, non-industry landowners and are “potentially threatened by conversion from urban and suburban growth or other threats.” Therefore, the commission recommends that these areas “be designated as Forest Legacy Areas so that willing landowners may nominate their property as a possible Forest Legacy Tract.” $4,270,000 for six projects by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), including: $800,000 for the Gig Harbor Fish Passage; $500,000 for the Tacoma-Seattle Urban Forest; $270,000 for the Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Study; and $200,000 for Mason County Courthouse restoration. $2,900,000 for five projects by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.), including $200,000 for the Glendale Historic Entryway. The funding will go toward the preservation of historic buildings at the site. In the midst of an economic downturn, it was impossible for Rep. Pastor to defend these projects on economic terms. Instead, on February 25, 2009, the States News Service reported that Rep. Pastor simply said, “These projects are important to the people and communities of Arizona.” $1,250,000 for two projects by Senate appropriator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and House appropriator Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), including $750,000 for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. $1,100,000 for three projects by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), including $300,000 for the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Perhaps next year, if the park and Rep. Lewis still haven’t found (all the money they’re) lookin’ for, they could ask Bono and U-2 for help instead of the taxpayers. $500,000 by then-House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Udall (D-N.M.) for the Galisteo Basin Archeological sites. The Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act, which designated 24 sites in New Mexico as archaeological protection sites, was signed into law in 2004. Two years earlier, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill “could affect direct spending” but “any such effects would be negligible.” Only in Washington, D.C. is $500,000 “negligible.” $400,000 by Senate appropriator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) under the Save America’s Treasures program for the Salisbury House, the 1920s home of cosmetics pioneer Carl Weeks, in Des Moines. Some of the Salisbury House’s most popular events throughout the year include the Salisbury Automobile Classic, Shakespeare on the Lawn, and the Gatsby Gala. $350,000 by Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) under the Save America’s Treasures program for Magnolia Grove in Greensboro. The two-story Greek Revival antebellum mansion, set upon 15 acres, was the boyhood home of Rear Admiral Richmond Pearson Hobson, a hero in the Spanish-American War. $240,000 by then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) for the Shubert Performing Arts Center in Minneapolis. The Shubert (tagline: “Because Everybody Dances”) promises to “elevate and showcase” Minneapolis’s dance community and give “them a permanent and affordable home where audiences experience the best of this dynamic art form for years to come.” $175,000 by Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) under the Save America’s Treasures program for the Winnsboro Historic Clock Building. On March 5, 2008, Rep. Spratt led his fellow House Budget Committee Democrats in voting unanimously to defeat a Republican amendment to place a moratorium on earmarks for the 110 Congress. $150,000 by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member John Olver (D-Mass.) for the Ashley Barn in historic Deerfield, Mass. $100,000 by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member James Moran (D-Va.) for Fairfax, Va. for the Historic Huntley Estate. The fact that Fairfax County had the second-highest per capita income in the U.S. in 2007 didn’t stop it from begging at the trough. $90,000 by Senate appropriator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) for construction at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $50,000 by House appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) for tree replacement in River Rouge. According to the 2000 Census, River Rouge had a population of less than 10,000 people. VIII. Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) The number of earmarks and dollar total in the fiscal year Labor/HHS Appropriations Act remained remarkably consistent. In fiscal year 2008, there were 2,244 projects totaling $1 billion. In fiscal year 2009, there were 2,153 projects costing $1 billion a 4.1 percent decrease in the total number of projects. The bill continued to show that leadership has its privileges. Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) accounted for 12.5 percent of the total number of projects and 17 percent of the total cost. Interestingly, 139 of Sen. Specter’s 186 earmarks, or 75 percent, were for $95,000 projects. It seems likely that the senator did not take the time to evaluate these programs and just doled out $95,000 checks. $132,729,000 for 84 programs by Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), including: $5,471,000 for the Iowa Department of Education to continue the Harkin Grant Program and $381,000 for the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra’s residency program. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) proposed an amendment to eliminate funding for the Harkin Grant Program, which failed by a vote of 43-61. On the floor of the Senate on March 4, 2009, Sen. Harkin defended the earmarking process: “I basically disagree with sort of the underlying premise that somehow executive branch employees, all those bureaucrats, have a much better understanding of where and how Federal funds should be spent most effectively … over the years we have permitted that to happen, but we, through our oversight functions, can look at how that money is being spent … I am proud of both of those earmarks or congressionally directed spending, and I stand behind them.” If Sen. Harkin knows it all, just get rid of those pesky bureaucrats and earmark every penny of the budget. $111,872,000 for 28 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $33,315,000 for education for Native Hawaiians; $238,000 for the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Archives at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu for cultural education; $238,000 for the University of Hawaii School of Law in Honolulu for a health policy center; $238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Honolulu, for educational programs; and $190,000 for educational programs at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. A Bizjournal.com article noted that a 2009 grant to the museum of $1.7 million from the Howard K. L. Castle Foundation was “sorely needed.” A peek at the museum’s 2007 tax return showed a fund balance of $74.9 million. Sen. Inouye’s haul represented more than 10 percent of the total cost of the Labor/HHS earmarks. $37,479,000 for 186 projects by Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $95,000 each for Mount Aloysius Community College for college preparatory exams; Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh for renovations and equipment; Washington and Jefferson College in Washington for science education outreach programs. In an amendment proposed during the Senate debate on the Omnibus Appropriations Act, Sen. Coburn targeted the three earmarks outlined here, which were obtained by a lobbying firm under federal investigation for making campaign donations in exchange for political favors for the firm’s clients. The vote on that amendment failed 43-52. No surprise: Sen. Specter voted against the amendment. $23,702,000 for 14 projects by then-House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member James Walsh (R-N.Y.), including: $238,000 for the Girls Scouts of the USA for their “Fair Play” initiative, which seeks to engage girls in science, technology, engineering, and math; $238,000 for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in Waterford for exhibits for its historic education and interpretation project; $143,000 for technology upgrades at the Onondaga Free Library (apparently not free for taxpayers); and $95,000 for the National Kidney Foundation in Syracuse. $3,140,000 for nine projects by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), including: $856,000 for after school programs in Chippewa Falls; $476,000 each for after school programs in Turtle Lake and Ashland; and $95,000 for after school programs in Tomahawk. $476,000 by Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for educational programming at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum in Compton. The museum, which helps children learn how to fly, has some high-flying corporate partners, including Boeing and Northup Grumman. $428,000 by House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee member Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) for the Latino Veterans Oral History Project at the University of Texas Libraries. $238,000 by Senate appropriator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for the Alaska PTA in Anchorage to “train parents in their roles and responsibilities under the No Child left Behind Act.” $167,000 by House appropriator David Price (D-N.C.) for the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill for a digitization project. The Center is currently planning a renovation and expansion so, on March 3, the planetarium’s Director of External Relations Jeff Hill tried to argue for funding for the project, saying it could create jobs. Hill wrote, “This project could result in jobs today as well as support science education across the state that could result in jobs tomorrow. … We’re sensitive to the economic situation, appreciative of the support that we receive from all quarters and ready to put people to work if and when this capital project receives funding.” While there is much skepticism that the expansion will create many jobs, a digitization project will be temporary and create fewer jobs. $167,000 by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), House appropriator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Reps. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) and Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) for exhibits at the Autry National Center for the American West in Los Angeles. Rep. Schiff, with his Gun Owners of America rating of F minus, may want to know the museum recently showcased an exhibit called “Pistols: Dazzling Firearms.” $152,000 for two library projects by Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.): $95,000 to the city of Chula Vista for library service and collection materials and $57,000 to the city of Imperial for the same purpose. $143,000 by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to expand educational programs at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. $143,000 by House appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) for exhibits and educational programs at the Greater New Haven Labor History Association. According to its website, the association’s mission is to “collect, preserve, and share the history of working people in the Greater New Haven Area. … retired and active trade unionists and students and teachers interested in labor history make up the executive board. Among the association’s achievements: held a reunion of Garment Workers in 1990 which attracted over 300 retirees; interviewed more than 20 retired union members on videotape and audiotape; published, with the Greater New Haven Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the Labor Almanac: New Haven’s Unions in the 1990s; and completed surveys of the records of 26 union locals and individuals in the Greater New Haven area.” $95,000 by then-House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Udall (D-N.M.) for services at the Embudo Valley library. $95,000 by then-House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee member Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) for the Canton Symphony Orchestra Association for teacher training and curriculum development. According to the orchestra’s website, its mission is to “Perform and present at the highest possible artistic level live orchestral music to enrich, entertain, educate, and challenge diverse audiences in a variety of settings. In doing so, we will serve our community, manage our resources responsibly, and be accountable to our donors, audiences, employees and volunteers.” If the orchestra manages its resources responsibly and is accountable to its donors that would be a big step up from most members of Congress; but the orchestra should do it at its own expense. $95,000 by then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) for education programs at the Kohl Children’s Museum in Chicago. Exhibits at the museum include “doll day care,” where children can change diapers; face paint; and a discovery maze, a “colorful labyrinth of interconnected pods.” The Obama White House, with Emanuel at the helm, shrugged off the Omnibus Appropriations Act earmarks, calling them “last year’s business.” $71,000 by Rep. Nydia Valezquez (D-N.Y.) for Dance Theater Etcetera in Brooklyn for its Tolerance through Arts initiative. One of the group’s ongoing projects is Angels and Accordions, which according to its website is, “A site-specific performance/walking tour of Green-Wood Cemetery. Produced by Dance Theatre Etcetera and the Green-Wood Historic Fund, in conjunction with openhousenewyork. A cast of 30 angels, 10 accordions and a classical music ensemble guide visitors through Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery.” Perhaps that is where the taxpayers’ money is buried. IX. Legislative Branch There is a common saying in theater that “there are no small parts, just small actors.” Earmarks in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act confirm that there is no appropriations bill too small to earmark. While the scant number of earmarks in this bill do not usually grab much media attention, any earmark is one too many. The number of projects decreased by 25 percent, from 4 in fiscal year 2008 to 3 in fiscal year 2009. The amount of pork dropped by 5 percent, from $400,000 in fiscal year 2008 to $380,000 in fiscal year 2009. $190,000 by Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) for digitization of the New York Historical Society Collection. According to the group’s website, corporate sponsors of $30,000 or more are entitled to “Free admission to the Historical Society (includes special exhibitions) for all employees and up to 3 guests each and a 10% discount at the Historical Society gift shop; Fifty (50) free admission passes to the New York Historical Society for clients/guests (each pass good for up to 2 individuals) and includes all special exhibitions; Twenty five (25) complimentary tickets to Society evening public programs; Discounted tickets to the annual Strawberry Festival luncheon; Discounted tickets to the annual History Makers Gala Benefit; Two (2) invitations to a ‘Dinner with History’; these intimate dinners for 12-15 guests feature an eminent historian and New York Historical Society President Louise Mirrer; and Invitations to annual pre-Thanksgiving balloon inflation viewing event and reception; and a Listing in Annual Report and donor listing on website.” Taxpayers receive historic deficits and debt. At the end of 2006, the Society had a fund balance of $58 million; $190,000 represents .3 percent of that amount, or 6.1 corporate sponsors. $95,000 by House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) for the Bob Graham Center for Public Service in Participatory Citizenship. According to the group’s website, “The Graham Center for Public Service currently offers a Certificate in Public Leadership, open to undergraduate students in a wide range of majors who aspire to be effective and ethical leaders in the public and private sectors. … The Graham Center’s future plans include a BA in Public Policy and an MA in Public Policy and Administration. These programs are unavailable at this time. Currently, the Department of Political Science at the University of Florida offers an M.A. in Political Science with a Certificate in Public Affairs.” The first course offered in the future BA and MA programs should be how to eliminate earmarks. X. Military Construction While there were big changes in other appropriations bills, the fiscal year 2009 Military Construction, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act was fairly similar to the fiscal year 2008 version. Fiscal year 2009 saw a decrease of 7.9 percent in projects, from 191 in fiscal year 2008 to 176, while the dollar amount increased by 6.7 percent, from $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2008 to $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2009. $44,230,000 for six projects funding chapels: $17,500,000 by House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member John Carter (R-Texas) for a chapel with an education center at Fort Hood; $11,600,000 by Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) for a chapel at Fort Bragg; $6,800,000 by then-Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) for a chapel center at Fort Rucker; $4,200,000 by Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and then-Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) for Phase Two of a chapel complex at Fort Leavenworth; $3,500,000 by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) for a chapel complex at Fort Leonard Wood; and $630,000 by Senate appropriators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Sens. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), House appropriator Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), and Reps. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) and Edward Whitfield (R-Ky.) for a chapel center in Fort Campbell. $30,000,000 by Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) for Phase Five of an access road at Pohakuloa Training Area. Since 2002, the Pohakuloa Training Area has received six earmarks worth $74.4 million. $27,820,000 for three projects funding fitness centers: $11,580,000 by Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) for a fitness center at Naval Air Station Kingsville; $9,900,000 by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) for a physical fitness center at Shaw Air Force Base; and $6,340,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Rep. Charles “Chip” Pickering (R-Miss.) for a fitness center at Meridian Naval Air Station. The YMCA in Sumter, South Carolina, near Shaw Air Force Base charges $46.13 per month for an adult fitness membership, while an unlimited membership at Rec World in Meridian costs $50 per month. $9,000,000 by then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) for a dining facility/community center at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. $500,000 by Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) for the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-La-Coquette, France. Established in 1930, the Lafayette Escadrille is a monument dedicated to the U.S. pilots who flew for France prior to America’s entry in World War I. XI. State and Foreign Operations Once again the House and Senate certified this appropriations bill as “earmark free.” Unfortunately for taxpayers, there were 16 earmarks and they weren’t free they cost $256 million. This is a 60 percent increase in projects from fiscal year 2008, when there were 10 projects, and a 235.6 percent increase in dollars from the $76.3 million in fiscal year 2008. $15,000,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI). Established in 1986, IFI’s objectives are to “promote economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland.” Projects funded by IFI in the past have included building a replica of the Jeanie Johnson (a Canadian ship that once ferried famine victims across the Atlantic), and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stores. In his review of a glowing book about IFI released in January 2009, Sean Donlon stated, “While the fund will continue its work for the next couple of years it would be unreasonable to expect external support thereafter, especially in the current relatively stable political and security situation in Northern Ireland.” CAGW has identified $264 million for this project since 1995. $11,000,000 for the East-West Center in Hawaii. In a moment of rare candor, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) admitted in 2007, after receiving an award from the East-West Center, that there were no congressional hearings before it was created in 1960. The State Department, which was given the responsibility and funding for establishing the East-West Center, knew nothing about it, the senator said, and for years tried to kill it by putting no funding for the center into its budget. $7,925,000 for the International Fisheries Commissions, which is comprised of 16 marine conservation organizations and commissions, including: $6,060,000 for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission; $1,200,000 for the International Pacific Halibut Commission; $264,000 for the Pacific Salmon Commission; and $109,294 for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. $150,000 for salaries and expenses for the United States Senate-China Interparliamentary Group. According to Title 22, Chapter 7, Section 276n of the U.S. Code, “There is authorized within the contingent fund of the Senate under the appropriation account ‘miscellaneous items’ $75,000 for fiscal year 2004 to assist in meeting the official expenses of the United States Senate-China Interparliamentary Group including conference room expenses, hospitality expenses, and food and food-related expenses.” This project smells like moo shu pork. XII. Transportation/Housing and Urban Development (THUD) With all the talk about the supposed lack of spending on infrastructure and economic development during the 2009 stimulus debate, taxpayers might think the federal government hasn’t spent a dime on roads, bridges, bikeways, or economic development. But Pig Book readers know that in the last two fiscal years for which individual appropriations bills were passed (2006 and 2008), CAGW identified 4,738 THUD earmarks costing more than $5.2 billion. While the bill is larded up this year with 1,789 earmarks totaling $1.5 billion, that is a 11.9 percent decrease in the number of earmarks from fiscal year 2008 and a 3.1 percent decrease in cost. $60,092,725 for 63 projects by Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.), including: $2,351,250 for the Pierce Transit Peninsula park and ride; $1,045,000 for Squaxin Island access improvement; $950,000 for the Vashon Island passenger ferry; $475,000 for the Washington State ferry system; $475,000 for plastic and composite vehicle research; $475,000 for new ferry boat construction; $475,000 for the Woodland trail project; $475,000 for the Freight Transportation Policy Institute; $237,500 for the King County hybrid bus program; and $237,500 for a downtown waterfront redevelopment project in Vancouver. $46,756,750 for 38 projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $950,000 for Audubon Mississippi for a nature-based education facility; $950,000 for Downtown Jackson Plaza, Inc. for construction of a civic gathering place; $475,000 for the JATRAN light rail feasibility study; $427,500 for Natchez riverfront trails; and $380,000 for renovation of Jackson’s Thalia Mara Performing Arts Center. In March, patrons of the Thalia Mara Performing Arts Center could enjoy a rendition of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In April, the Arts Center will present, “Bob the Builder: Live.” Tickets range from $15 to $36.50. $30,019,991 for 28 projects by Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Kit Bond (R-Mo.), including: $950,000 for ferry service for Route 240 bridge improvements; $950,000 for the Missouri Transportation Institute; $950,000 for downtown revitalization in Joplin; and $475,000 for the planning and design of the Lemay Community Center. According to a November 2008 Joplin city press release, the town began “its emphasis on downtown redevelopment in July 2005” and focuses on streetscaping; parking and transportation considerations; structures; and amenities, including the “enhancement of appearance” to bring people to the area. $18,335,000 for 17 projects by House THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Olver (D-Mass.), including: $1,900,000 for parking at the North Leominster commuter station; $950,000 for the National Council of La Raza for community redevelopment activities; $308,750 for a one-stop enrollment center at Holyoke Community College; $285,000 for a landscape connectivity study for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst; and $285,000 for renovation, equipment, construction, and buildout of facilities at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. There was a heated debate on whether to include funding for groups like La Raza in the 2008 housing bill, but that didn’t stop Rep. Olver from finding money for the group elsewhere. $9,500,000 by Senate appropriator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) for Corridor H. A perennial pork-barrel project inserted by Sen. Byrd, Corridor H has been under scrutiny by taxpayer and environmental groups for decades. And according to a March 2009 investigation by CNN, “Corridor H has been billed as a way to promote economic development in the impoverished state. But most of it remains on the drawing board. It’s not projected to be complete until 2035 -- and neighboring Virginia says it has no plans to add on to the eastern end of the highway, meaning the road will end in West Virginia, 10 miles from the state line. … Paul Turman, West Virginia’s assistant transportation secretary, said the $21 million in stimulus money will connect two unfinished stretches of the superhighway at the midpoint of the route. The State Division of Highways said the money will create 60 jobs lasting between 18 and 24 months, which works out to $175,000 in taxpayer dollars a year for each job created.” $9,452,500 for 14 projects for bike paths and trails, including: $2,850,000 by Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for pedestrian and bicycling trail improvements in Illinois; $950,000 by Senate appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for the Western Kentucky University community-university bikeway project; $950,000 by Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee member Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) for the Starkweather Creek Parkway bike path; $475,000 by Senate appropriator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and House appropriator Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) for the Blackstone River Bikeway; $475,000 by House appropriator Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) for bike and pedestrian trails in the city of Whiting; $475,000 by then-House appropriator Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) for a pedestrian/bicycle recreation trail over the Tuscarwaras River and along the Ohio and Erie Canalway Recreation Trails in Stark County; and $332,500 by Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and House appropriator Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) for the Ohio Greenway bike trail in Warren. $8,051,250 for 26 projects for YMCAs, YWCAs, and Boys and Girls Clubs, including: $285,000 by Senate appropriator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) for renovation and expansion of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua; $285,000 by House appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) for the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA to refurbish trails, construction, and “other site work;” and $237,500 by House appropriator Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) for the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound to construct a teen center. $3,800,000 by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy for preservation and redevelopment of a public park and related business activities in the Corktown Neighborhood. Michael LaFaive, a fiscal analyst with the free-market Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, summed up the project’s problems in a Detroit Free Press article on January 27, 2009: “It’s not only irresponsible to redirect these precious resources to saving Tiger Stadium … it’s unfair to everyone with no voluntary connection to the stadium whatsoever. And that comes in the form of people who don't like baseball, people who don’t go to the city of Detroit, people who have no desire to see what remains of the old stadium because of this rescue.” $2,351,250 for six projects by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), including: $142,500 for the Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission in McCalla for a park welcome center, restroom facilities, and security office; $118,750 for walking trails, lighting, landscaping, a pavilion, and other amenities to make Cosby Lake in Clay into a public park; and $95,000 for the Shelby Arts Council in Columbiana for architectural drawings needed to build a performing arts facility. Without a hint of irony and just before the Omnibus spending bill was revealed, Rep. Bachus issued a press release condemning President Obama’s stimulus package, noting, “Rather than focusing on job-creating tax cuts, this bill has turned into a grab-bag that will cost every American household almost $7,000. Across-the-board tax cuts will allow small businesses and working families to spend, save, and invest more of their own money. This is a far better way to stimulate the economy and create jobs than increasing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts …” $1,900,000 by then-Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service project. In 1996, a fire destroyed a bridge providing access to the beach, near Bridgeport and Stratford. Although patrons can still walk to the beach from Stratford or row to it from Bridgeport, some community activists say a water taxi is needed. Stratford mayor James Miron doesn’t think so. He told the Stratford Star there’s no support for the bridge and the local government’s priority should be Bridgeport schools. $912,000 by then-House appropriator Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), now President Obama’s Transportation Secretary, for four projects, including $95,000 for the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences in Peoria to plan and construct a building to “highlight the achievement and skills of art, history, science, and achievement.” $380,000 by Senate appropriator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for construction of a recreation and fairgrounds area in Kotzebue. That works out to $123.30 for each of Kotzebue’s 3,082 residents. Perhaps the town should have used the approximately $350,000 it spent on lobbying since 2000 for the fairgrounds, saving federal taxpayers a bundle. Even the Anchorage Daily News was outraged by the project: “The federal dollar that the stimulus might have spent on recreation projects is no different from the federal dollar spent on recreation in the pending appropriations bill. It all comes from the same pot of borrowed money.” $237,500 by then-Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) for restoration of the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. Referred to as the “Jewel of Joliet” the Rialto’s schedule in March featured “An Evening with Groucho” and Larry the Cable Guy. Say the magic word (pork) and get a prize. $237,500 by House THUD Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) to acquire the remaining 62 acres of Keil Farm, a park in Toledo. Kaptur told the Toledo Business Journal, “We must showcase our hidden assets such as Keil Farm, continue to enhance them, and market our quality of life. I see Toledo as a ‘city in a garden.’ Creating a green hub in our urban environment will help raise an awareness about the importance of productive land and its adjacent water resources.” $190,000 by House appropriator Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to turn the Fruitvale Masonic Temple in Oakland into a cultural and performing arts center. $190,000 by then-Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for Port of Gold Beach for rebuilding the high dock. According to the town’s website, “For a little port in a little town a lot happens in the Port of Gold Beach. At the Port you can: Launch your boat; Arrange a river or ocean fishing charter; Eat at a restaurant or purchase fresh seafood to take home; Browse an art gallery and enjoy coffee; Arrange a jet boat ride; Tour either of two museums; Stroll, photograph, relax.” All at the taxpayer’s expense. $190,000 by then-Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) for construction of a youth sports complex in Carlsbad. $190,000 by then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) for construction of the Delaware Children’s Museum, as part of a plan to redevelop brownfields along the Christina Waterfront in Wilmington. In February, the theatre finished a run of “Pinnochio,” that classic story about a little boy whose nose grows when he tells a lie. Vice President Biden beware: taxpayers will be watching your snout the next time the new Administration promises to cut earmarks. $190,000 for Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) for the revitalization of the Pierre downtown area and waterfront development. $142,500 by House appropriator Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) for renovation and buildout of the Pregones Theater in the Bronx. $118,750 by Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-Ill.) for the Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Illinois. In a March 11, 2009 article on The News-Gazzette.com website Rep. Johnson claimed, “I was happy to advocate for this appropriation to help keep a small but vital part of our military aviation history alive. … Not everybody can travel to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Hopefully, this money will help generate more interest in a museum in our own backyard, run by volunteers, in the town of Rantoul that has suffered more than its share of economic setbacks in recent months.” With this logic there should be an aerospace museum in every district. $80,750 by then-House appropriator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) for site improvements and a new facility for the Santa Fe Teen Arts Center, Warehouse21, in Santa Fe.

Like most sessionists, he probably doesn't have a clue what would actually happen if they became their own country.

It is the nature of the Beast (politics) that politicians say one thing when they are campaigning, and something very different when they are actually governing. We forget this at our own peril.