Welcome to The Truth News.Info
Congress Loads Spending Bills with Pork and Earmarks
By
Ben Pooler
In 2008 there were 11,351 pork projects worth $17.2 billion in the House and Senate appropriations bills. And In fiscal year 2009, Congress stuffed 10,160 projects into the 12 appropriations bills worth $19.6 billion, the number of pork projects in the spending bills thus far in 2010 totals 6,651 in the House and 4,700 in the Senate at what cost, not out yet. One thing is for sure, you can bet it will be in the billions. Since 1991, federal pork has cost the U.S. taxpayer $290 billion dollars. $290 billion dollars doesn't sound like much considering how much is spent by our Government, but these are on B.S. projects for there buddies. Giving lawmakers their own pot of taxpayer
dollars to distribute as they wish invites corruption.
Not surprisingly, the media has been saturated with stories of lawmakers earmarking federal grants to projects directly benefiting campaign contributors, friends, relatives, and even themselves. Listed below are some of those projects I'm speaking of.
|
Amount |
|
Recipient/Purpose |
|
Congressional Sponsor |
|
$1,049,000 |
|
Mormon Crickets, Utah |
|
Bennett |
|
$475,000 |
|
Sidewalk Construction in Ashland & Cherry land, CA |
|
Lee |
|
$225,000 |
|
Everybody Wins! |
|
LaHood |
|
$200,000 |
|
Tattoo removal program in Mission Hills, CA |
|
Berman |
|
$190,000 |
|
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY |
|
Cubin |
|
$237,500 |
|
Theater renovation, Merced, CA |
|
Cardoza |
|
$75,000 |
|
Totally Teen Zone, Albany, GA |
|
Bishop, Chambliss |
|
$500,000 |
|
National History Day |
|
Several Lawmakers |
|
$570,000 |
|
Ronald Reagan Parkway, Boone County, IN |
|
Buyer |
|
$100,000 |
|
Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation |
|
Allen, Snowe, Collins |
|
$332,500 |
|
Build a school sidewalk, Franklin, TX |
|
Edwards (TX) |
|
$381,000 |
|
George Eastman House, Rochester, NY |
|
Slaughter, Schumer |
|
$380,600 |
|
Versailles Borough Stray Gas Mitigation |
|
Doyle (PA) |
|
$75,000 |
|
Wayne Gomes Youth Baseball Diversity Foundation |
|
Scott |
|
$381,000 |
|
Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY |
|
Nadler |
|
$5,813,000 |
|
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate, Boston, MA |
|
Kerry, Byrd, Harkin, Durbin, Mikulski, Dodd |
|
$950,000 |
|
Bus and Bus Facilities, Lawrence, KS |
|
Moore, Roberts |
|
$300,000 |
|
Montana World Trade Center |
|
Rehberg |
|
$2,673,000 |
|
Wood Education and Resource Center |
|
President, Byrd |
|
$380,000 |
|
Lemon Street Reconstruction and Enhancements, FL |
|
Bilirakis |
|
$17,500,000 |
|
FDR Presidential Library renovation |
|
Gillibrand, Reid, Schumer |
|
$2,000,000 |
|
LBJ Presidential Library |
|
Hutchison |
|
$22,000,000 |
|
JFK Presidential Library |
|
Markey, Lynch, Kerry |
|
$300,000 |
|
GoGirlGo! Boston, MA |
|
Capuano, Kennedy, Kerry |
|
$285,000 |
|
Kansas Farm Bureau, Manhattan, KS |
|
Brownback |
|
$6,838,000 |
|
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |
|
Several Lawmakers |
|
$427,500 |
|
Bicycle/Pedestrian Pathways, Provo, UT |
|
Cannon, Hatch |
|
$950,000 |
|
World Trade Center of St. Louis, MO |
|
Bond |
|
$725,000 |
|
Illinois Height Modernization |
|
Johnson (IL), LaHood |
|
$298,257 |
|
Small business program, Florida Department of Citrus |
|
Boyd, Putnam, Martinez |
|
$237,500 |
|
Sidewalk Construction, Vienna, VA |
|
Davis (VA) |
|
$190,000 |
|
Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI |
|
Inouye |
|
$100,000 |
|
Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Inc |
|
Slaughter |
|
$206,000 |
|
Wool Research |
|
Conaway, Rodriguez (TX) |
|
$475,000 |
|
5th & Market St. Transportation Improvements, PA |
|
Specter |
|
$494,000 |
|
Business incubator, Arkansas State University |
|
Berry, Lincoln, Pryor |
|
$400,000 |
|
Salisbury House, Des Moines, IA |
|
Harkin, Grassley, Boswell |
|
$138,000 |
|
John Nance Garner Museum, Austin, TX |
|
Rodriguez (TX) |
|
$190,000 |
|
Sidewalk Improvements, Williamstown, VT |
|
Leahy, Sanders |
|
$870,000 |
|
Red Wolf Breeding Facility Relocation |
|
Shuler |
|
$190,000 |
|
George C. Wallace Community College-Dothan, AL |
|
Everett |
|
$142,500 |
|
Pregones Theater, Bronx, NY |
|
Serrano |
|
$6,623,000 |
|
Formosan Subterranean Termites Research |
|
Landrieu, Vitter, Alexander |
|
$1,903,000 |
|
Landfill Gas Utilization Plant in NY |
|
Schumer |
|
$475,000 |
|
Replacement of Bus Fleet, Topeka, KS |
|
Boyda |
|
$285,000 |
|
Widening of County Road 222, Cullman, AL |
|
Aderholt |
|
$2,192,000 |
|
Center for Grape Genetics, Geneva, NY |
|
Schumer, Walsh, Hinchey, Arcuri |
|
$1,791,000 |
|
Swine Odor and Manure Management Research, Ames, IA |
|
Harkin |
|
$950,000 |
|
Bossier Parish Congestion Relief Plan, LA |
|
Landrieu, Vitter |
|
$712,500 |
|
Replacement Buses, Detroit, MI |
|
Conyers, Levin, Stabenow |
|
$4,545,000 |
|
Wood Utilization Research |
|
Several Lawmakers |
|
$200,000 |
|
Oil Region Alliance |
|
Peterson (PA) |
|
$2,565,000 |
|
Renovate the Cox Building, Maysville, KY |
|
McConnell, Davis (KY) |
|
$400,000 |
|
Minnesota Teen Challenge |
|
Ramstad, Coleman |
|
$190,000 |
|
Berkshire Theater Festival, Stockbridge, MA |
|
Kennedy, Kerry |
|
$4,750,000 |
|
Shiloh Road, MT |
|
Baucus, Tester |
|
$143,000 |
|
American Ballet Theatre, New York, NY |
|
Maloney, Schumer |
|
$100,000 |
|
Ready, Willing & Able, Philadelphia, PA |
|
Brady (PA) |
|
$250,000 |
|
Lederer Theater, Providence, RI |
|
Reed |
|
$1,187,500 |
|
Wolf Trap Performing Arts Multi-Use Trail, Fairfax, VA |
|
Moran |
|
$3,800,000 |
|
Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, MI |
|
Levin |
|
$294,500 |
|
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, East St. Louis, IL |
|
Durbin |
|
$143,000 |
|
Historic Jazz Foundation, Inc., Kansas City, MO |
|
Cleaver, Emanuel |
|
$1,000,000 |
|
Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation |
|
Ruppersberger, Mikulski, Shelby |
|
$237,500 |
|
Street Rehabilitation, Doral, FL |
|
Diaz-Balart (Lincoln) |
|
$49,134 |
|
Bronx Council on the Arts |
|
Serrano |
|
$475,000 |
|
Pedestrian Bridges, Iowa City, IA |
|
Loebsack |
|
$167,000 |
|
Autry National Center for the American West, Los Angeles, CA |
|
Schiff, McKeon, Bono, Boxer |
|
$315,000 |
|
Music education, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY |
|
Maloney, Schumer |
|
$122,821 |
|
Greater Toledo Arts Commission |
|
Kaptur |
|
$950,000 |
|
55th Street East Grade Separation, Minot, ND |
|
Dorgan, Conrad |
|
$951,500 |
|
Energy Efficiency Street Lighting, Detroit, MI |
|
Kilpatrick, Levin, Stabenow |
|
$143,000 |
|
Stockbridge-Munsee Museum, Bowler, WI |
|
Kagen |
|
$475,000 |
|
Italian American Museum, New York, NY |
|
Ackerman, Nadler |
|
$1,217,000 |
|
Citrus Canker, Greening, FL |
|
Several Lawmakers |
|
$900,000 |
|
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL |
|
Jackson, Jr., Emanuel, Davis (IL) |
|
$142,500 |
|
Bus Replacement, Culver City, CA |
|
Watson |
|
$2,150,000 |
|
Wisconsin Height Modernization |
|
Obey |
|
$1,900,000 |
|
Hattiesburg 4th Street Improvements, MS |
|
Cochran, Wicker |
|
$71,000 |
|
Dance Theater Etcetera, Brooklyn, NY |
|
Velázquez |
|
$333,000 |
|
Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, GA |
|
Marshall (GA), Isakson |
|
$1,235,000 |
|
Reconstruction and Upgrade 2300 West Street, Lehi, UT |
|
Hatch, Cannon |
|
$380,000 |
|
Revitalize Aliceville, AL |
|
Shelby |
|
$150,000 |
|
Nashua Police Athletic League Youth Safe Haven |
|
Hodes, Gregg |
|
$237,500 |
|
Paving, sidewalks and streetlights, Islip, NY |
|
Israel |
|
$238,000 |
|
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
|
Kennedy, Kerry |
|
$1,425,000 |
|
I-85 Widening, NC |
|
Burr, Dole, Hayes, Watt |
|
$285,000 |
|
Sun Valley Lighting Project, CA |
|
Berman |
|
$119,000 |
|
Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose, CA |
|
Honda, Lofgren |
|
$385,000 |
|
World Trade Center Utah |
|
Bishop (UT), Bennett |
|
$300,000 |
|
Shakespeare and Company |
|
Olver, Kennedy, Kerry |
|
$476,000 |
|
National Council of La Raza in Washington, DC, |
|
Menendez, Bingaman |
|
$508,000 |
|
Karnal Bunt, Manhattan, KS |
|
Brownback, Roberts, Moran, Boyda, Tiahrt |
|
$300,000 |
|
Fairplex Trade and Conference Center |
|
Dreier, Napolitano |
|
$237,500 |
|
SR-91 Congestion Relief, Orange County, CA |
|
Miller (CA) |
|
$380,000 |
|
Construction of On/Off Ramps, Midland, TX |
|
Conaway |
|
$380,600 |
|
Carbon Neutral Green Campus, NV |
|
Porter, Reid |
|
$150,000 |
|
Manufacturers Association of Central New York |
|
Walsh |
|
$475,000 |
|
Calhoun County Highway 1 Resurfacing, IL |
|
Hare |
|
$45,000 |
|
Weed It Now on the Berkshire, MA |
|
Olver |
|
$24,000 |
|
A+ For Abstinence, Waynesboro, PA |
|
Specter |
|
$819,000 |
|
Catfish Genome, Auburn, AL |
|
Shelby, Rogers (AL), Everett, Davis (AL) |
|
$196,514 |
|
Beaver Street Enterprise Center, Jacksonville, FL |
|
Brown (FL), Martinez |
|
$75,000 |
|
Chattahoochee County Family Connection |
|
Bishop |
|
$2,188,450 |
|
Bismarck State College Center Of Excellence Laboratories, ND |
|
Dorgan |
|
$469,000 |
|
Fruit fly facility, HI |
|
Akaka, Inouye, Hirono |
|
$800,000 |
|
Oyster rehabilitation, AL |
|
Shelby |
|
$238,000 |
|
Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley, CA |
|
Boxer |
|
$475,000 |
|
55th Street Extension, Rochester, MN |
|
Donnelly, Lugar |
Source: Conference Report of HR 1105
Two other events stand out. Following the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) offered an amendment calling on the Senate to place a temporary moratorium on transportation pork until all structurally deficient bridges are repaired. Amazingly, the Senate voted 82-14 to prioritize pork over bridge repairs in the transportation budget.
Then, the Department of Veterans Affairs proposed selling $4 billion worth of its valuable but vacant land in a super-wealthy area of west Los Angeles. This $4 billion could then have been used to provide additional medical care for America's veterans. However, this land is also surrounded by the Beverly Hills estates of individuals like Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise, Tim McGraw, and Barry Bonds. When locals reportedly complained that this development would, among other things, impede the views from their mansions, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) inserted an earmark to cancel the land sale. The Senate voted 66-25 to side with the Beverly Hills millionaires.
Pork generates publicity and campaign contributions for lawmakers--who in fact have only tied strings to federal money that was already coming home. Then they ask why the American people are so upset with us. Well they better figure it out because the American people are pissed off and want there money to stop being wasted, so the people of this country can have a life again. I now have joined a group that is doing just that, and we will stop them in there tracks one way or another. I have had it and I will do everything I can to get this stopped. If you are reading this and you're not mad about it, feel your forehead and check your pulse because you have just passed away. I'll make sure to tell your family and friends for you. America its time to stand up and do something, get off your butts and rally, call someone, write something, or just call your
local politician, you can also vote for some guy that maybe isn't involved with the good old boy system. But I'm telling you this November is going to be one to remember, just wait and watch.
Benjamin Pooler
Ben is Director for the Kentucky TEA party
Check out and or join Ben here. You don't have to live in KY to join.
This Group is headed by fellow Americans and is dedicated to preserving the Constitutional rights of the people. We as the people of The United States will stand up and uphold each and every God given right, as was done by our forefathers. We are Dedicated to preserving liberty & freedom for all Americans. This group is dedicated to helping the Tea Party in every way possible, because we believe the Tea Party Patriots have demonstrated their ability to speak for the people, without putting themselves first. I would like if Americans that feel the same way I do to join my group. Below is a link to join. Its easy all you have to do is click onto the link, hit the join this group button, resister with the Tea Party Patriots and your in. Please help me in this effort and show those in Congress and the Senate we mean business. Thank you for your support.
|