CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE (cagw.org)
The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2006 Pig Book identified 9,963 projects in the 11 appropriations bills that constitute the discretionary portion of the federal budget for fiscal 2006, costing taxpayers $29 billion. A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria* that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.
* The 7 Criteria
* Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
* Not specifically authorized;
* Not competitively awarded;
* Not requested by the President;
* Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
* Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
* Serves only a local or special interest.
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Some Slices of PorkI. AGRICULTURE
The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee was one of the few subcommittees that did not get reorganized. This meant that pork-hungry appropriators knew exactly where to add their pet projects. Usually when seeking information, CAGW gets the cold shoulder from appropriators. This year, the Agricultural Research Service was the spoiler, refusing to release public budget documents. Total agriculture pork in fiscal 2006 was $584 million, or 60 percent more than the fiscal 2005 total of $365 million. The number of projects decreased by 2 percent, from 512 to 502.
$33,907,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran
$33,360,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $25,000,000 for rural and native villages; $1,300,000 for berry research; $1,099,000 for alternative salmon products; $500,000 for fruit and berry crop trials for rural villages; $443,000 for new crop opportunities; $331,000 for food preparation and marketing research; $300,000 for commercialization of native plant materials; $250,000 for ethnobotany research; $166,000 for salmon quality standards; and $75,000 for seafood waste research.
$13,274,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including: $843,000 for health education leadership;
$10,995,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $4,500,000 for the Geographic Information System Center of Excellence at West Virginia University; $2,045,000 for the Appalachian Fruit Laboratory in Kearneysville
$6,435,000 for wood utilization research in Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Mich., Minn., Miss., N.C., Ore., Tenn., Wash., and W.Va. Since 1985, $86 million has been sapped from the taxpayers for this purpose.
$365,000 added by the Senate for the Center for Rural Studies in the state of Senate appropriator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). According to USDA testimony, “The original goal was to create a database and analytical capability for rural development programming in Vermont.” However, USDA also testified that, “No formal evaluation of this project has been conducted.” Oops! Since 1992, $2 million has been appropriated for this research.
$234,000 for the National Wild Turkey Federation. According to the organization’s website, “In 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in Fredericksburg, Va. At that time, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Shortly after its founding, the NWTF moved to Edgefield, S.C., where it is headquartered today. Thanks to the work of federal, state and provincial wildlife agencies and the NWTF's many volunteers and partners, there are now close to 7 million wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters.” According to USDA testimony, “The project builds on the Federation’s longstanding public education program that reaches approximately 250,000 citizens annually. The project goal, to be accomplished by targeting nontraditional audiences, is to increase participation by these groups in outdoor activities, including, hunting, and thereby contributing to a more healthy lifestyle for the individuals…”
II. DEFENSE
Efficient and effective operation of the Department of Defense (DOD) is critical to ensuring the security of our nation and the safety of our troops. While American military forces fight for peace and democracy in the Middle East, Pentagon officials at home struggle to create a lean, mean, war-fighting machine; but so far, appropriators are winning too many battles. From fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2006, the number of pork-barrel projects jumped 8 percent from 2,606 to 2,822, while the total cost went up 17 percent, from $12.7 billion to $14.9 billion.
$591,017,000 added in conference for eight additional C-130J aircraft. A February 2005 Associated Press article noted, “A 2004 report from the office of the inspector general of the Department of Defense rated the J model unsatisfactory and cited deficiencies in, among other things, its defensive systems.”
$32,800,000 added for projects in the state of House appropriators Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), including: $7,000,000 for the Future Tactical Truck System; $7,000,000 for the Modular Causeway System; and $1,000,000 for the Gaming-Technology Software Initiative.
$5,600,000 added by the House for the Gallo Center. According to its website, “The Ernest Gallo Clinic & Research Center (EGCRC) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) was established in 1980 to study basic neuroscience and the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on the brain.” There is no mention of any defense-related research. Apparently, they will serve no pork before its time. (This was in a Dept. of Defense appropriation. - DG)
$4,000,000 for the Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal (BMOT). Last year, CAGW noted that BMOT was the new home of Royal Caribbean cruise ships and was used as a location for the film “A Beautiful Mind” and HBO’s television series “Oz.” In 2005, the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Agency, the governing entity of BMOT, bragged that it was “the proud recipient of the New Jersey Planning Officials (NJPO) 2005 ‘Achievement in Planning Award’ and New Jersey Future 2005 ‘Smart Growth Award.’”
$4,000,000 added by the House for the Toledo Shipyard Improvement Plan in the district of House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). According to The Toledo Blade, the shipyard was scheduled to close on October 31, 2005. The paper noted, “Despite millions of dollars in pledged public aid for modernizations and upgrades, the Toledo Shipyard's operator has indicated that it will pull anchor by the end of October, costing the area about 70 jobs.” Business at the shipyard has been waning over the last 20 years.
$1,000,000 added by the Senate for a competency-based distance education initiative with Western Governors University in the state of Senate appropriator Robert Bennett (R-Utah). This school is a private university that only gained accreditation in 2003. A close examination of their website does not reveal any defense-related missions.
II. ENERGY AND WATER
Hurricane Katrina exposed the truth about congressional appropriators. Instead of fully funding high-priority levees and flood control projects, appropriators have chosen to fund their own pet projects across the country, and even within the Gulf States. The 942 projects included in this bill will receive $1.6 billion in 2006, a 16 percent decrease from the $1.9 billion in fiscal 2005.
$100,327,000, a 56 percent increase from fiscal year 2005, for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and the district of House appropriator Rodney Alexander (R-La.) including: $13,500,000 for the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway; $11,250,000 for the Inner Harbor Canal Lock, which has been deemed ineffective because of changing water traffic patterns; $2,250,000 for Mississippi River Outlets in Venice; $1,170,000 for Barartaria Bay; $500,000 for the Louisiana State University Sugar-Based Ethanol Project; $442,000 for Lake Providence Harbor; $400,000 for Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise Program at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette; $375,000 for Ascension Parish environmental infrastructure; $172,000 for Mississippi River Ship Channel; and $77,000 for Madison Parish Port. One would assume that the increase in Louisiana earmarks could be attributed to Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the majority of projects added by the appropriations committee do not concern flood control or the reparation of destroyed levees. For example, 13.4 percent of total Louisiana pork, or $13,500,000, was allocated to one project, the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, even though it is only used by 4 percent of Louisiana’s commercial traffic. And, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, the waterway’s costs will not be justified until 2046.
$83,500,000 for projects at the Yazoo Basin in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $25,000,000 for miscellaneous water sources in the Yazoo Basin; $22,000,000 for the Delta Headwaters Project; and $20,000,000 for the backwater pumping plants. Yazoo Basin projects are receiving 63.3 percent more than the state of Mississippi received from the entire Energy and Water bill in fiscal year 2005 and have exceeded the President’s fiscal 2006 budget request of $28,920,00 by 188 percent.
IV. FOREIGN OPERATIONS
The U.S. government continues to dig deep into the taxpayers’ pockets to help those affected by natural disasters and disease and to assist economically unstable countries. Yet Congress insists on wasting money that could be used to fund more worthwhile projects around the world. However, there is a silver lining. Foreign Operations Appropriations pork spending decreased 77 percent, from $473.9 million in fiscal year 2005 to $107.7 million in fiscal year 2006.
$13,500,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), which has released a five-year strategy focusing on grassroots reconciliation and cross-community projects such as: the construction of Creggan Community Café and Catering Ltd., the Newcastle YMCA, the Donegal Town Waterbus, the Leitrim Food Center of Excellence, the Chef Development Program, and funding toward the World Toilet Summit. Could there be a better example of the government flushing away your money?
$3,000,000 for the Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability (FESS), which addresses environmental concerns around the world. Though the program received funding from the USAID budget for the last five years, it has shown little progress. The two most recent projects, performed in February and May of 2005, were pilot country studies in Uganda and the Dominican Republic. It appears that unused funding is reallocated to FESS affiliate programs at the University of Mississippi and Tulane Law School.
V. HOMELAND SECURITY
Spending on projects was on the rise in the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. As the need remains for a secure America, appropriators continued to fund projects that were not requested by the administration. While the number of projects in the bill decreased by 45 percent from 64 in fiscal 2005 to 35 in fiscal 2006, spending increased 57 percent, from $1.7 billion to $2.7 billion.
$78,631,000 added for general provisions for the 100 foot Island Class Patrol Boat. These boats are currently being used by the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce immigration and drug laws. According to the 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act House report and an article published by Sea Power, the effectiveness of these boats has been in decline since 2001. As maintenance costs for emergency repairs continue to rise, so do the contributions from taxpayers.
$10,000,000 added by the House for the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, which is meant to improve driver protection, passenger screening, tracking and communication between buses, and overall security assessment. While the individual grants continue to fund profitable companies, such as Coach and Greyhound, the most ridiculous grant in fiscal 2005 was $46,908 for Hampton Jitney, Inc. The Jitney is known primarily for shuttling wealthy New Yorkers to their summer homes in the Hamptons. The company has recently added a limousine service that promises “a custom tailored limousine ride for an unforgettable day.”
VI. INTERIOR
The fiscal 2006 Interior Appropriations Act is similar to its predecessors, with the addition of funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. One of most recognizable agencies in this bill is the National Park Service (NPS), a.k.a. “the National Pork Service.” In March 2005, the Congressional Research Service cited $9.7 billion worth of maintenance backlogged at national parks. That didn’t stop appropriators from adding $136 million in pork for the NPS. Total pork for the Interior bill was $669.5 million dispersed among 737 projects.
$350,000 added by the Senate for the Chicago Greenstreets Program in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). According to a participant in the program, Moore Landscapes, Inc., “The City of Chicago's Greenstreets Program included the design, installation, and maintenance of over 950 hanging baskets this summer. This newly added feature, overflowing with splashes of vivid color and delicate foliage provide a welcoming touch to the streets of Chicago.”
$400,000 for the Kam Wah Chung & Company Museum in John Day, Oregon. The museum is dedicated to the work of two Chinese immigrants, Lung On and Ing “Doc” Hay. Admission to the museum is $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, and $1.50 for students. An estimated 3,000 people visit the museum each year. According to the museum’s website, “Other fund-raising goals the Friends Group has identified include: Acquiring a support building near the Museum to serve as a visitor, education and interpretive center, and to house the Curator's office. To do this, we anticipate the need to raise approximately $40,000 in the next two years.” By this estimate, the federal contribution could support the construction of 10 buildings.
$150,000 for the Bulgarian-Macedonian National Education and Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to its website, “The Bulgarian-Macedonian National Educational And Cultural Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995. Its mission is to preserve, perpetuate and present the rich cultural heritage of the Bulgarian and Macedonian people. The BMNECC is projected as a ‘must see’ tourist attraction in the Pittsburgh area in which will be contained both permanent and revolving cultural exhibits and a Performing Arts Center as well as an efficient and attractive Museum, Library and Archives.” We’ll wait for the movie. ( This is, no doubt, a good cause. - DG
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VII. LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION (LABOR/HHS)
The 2006 Labor/HHS Appropriations Act is a tale of two bills. On one hand, Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), drew a line in the sand, refusing to add earmarks. Although House appropriators squealed, the result was a 98 percent drop in earmarks, from 3,071 to 51. On the other hand, total pork increased 3 percent, from $1.7 billion in 2005 to $1.75 billion in 2006. Despite the fact that President Bush cut 48 projects from the Department of Education (DoE), appropriators chose to ignore the majority of those cuts, returning funding to 25 of the programs. The DoE received the majority of earmarks in this bill.
$100,000,000 added by the House for the Even Start program. This program was created in 1988 as an attempt to terminate the link between poverty and illiteracy by creating a family literacy course. The DoE has argued that the program’s combination of early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education creates a family dynamic that aids in the learning process. However, DoE’s own studies proved that claim groundless, revealing that no educational discrepancy exists between families that enrolled in the Even Start program and families that did not. Not only is Even Start lacking in educational gains, but it has also failed to track accurately the progress of families that are receiving grants. It does, however, track the number of hours of instruction provided to the grantees. But who has the time to track actual learning when you are busy vying for tens of millions of dollars in federal funding?
$41,000,000 added by the Senate for Byrd Honors Scholarships. The scholarships, named after Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), are meant to encourage secondary school students to excel in their lessons and go on to a postsecondary institution. However, according to Expect More, a program that evaluates the efficiency of government programs, students are given no real incentives, as there are no requirements that must be met or set goals to be achieved. Absent any defined standards, there is no way of knowing whether students who received this aid ever really “qualified” for the “coveted” scholarships. Furthermore, the law of this program does not allow the states to use any funding to determine whether or not the program is succeeding. This program gets an “F,” for failure to set standards and follow up on effectiveness.
$21,750,000 added for the National Writing Project, a program established by Congress and developed by the DoE, which aims to enhance the writing skills of grade school teachers. Approximately 180 sites are scattered across the country in the hopes that teachers will seek training in the art of writing. While the program seeks to increase the effectiveness of teachers, there is no system in place for determining whether or not the teachers’ writing skills have improved. Although studies have been conducted to determine whether or not this program is worthwhile, neither study has compared its results with teachers that did not receive aid from the National Writing Project. Moreover, the National Writing Project can be considered a duplicative project. DoE already spends $3 billion annually on programs meant to “professionally” train teachers to hone their writing skills. Hopefully these teachers learned how to write in college.
$980,000 added by the House for B. J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships. This program was created in 1992 to provide financial assistance to Olympic athletes who wish to pursue a postsecondary education. The massive amount of financial assistance available to students at public and private institutions across the country makes this project unnecessary. Furthermore, the only stipulated requirement is that the grantee must be training at one of the United States Olympic Training Centers. There is no incentive for the grantee to improve performance or demonstrate ability in any area other than their specified sport. This is just a hunch, but the appropriations committees will probably not medal in this project.
VIII. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Senate and House appropriators took the opportunity to feed a few of their favorite projects in the fiscal 2006 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. The number of projects decreased by 17 percent, from 17 to 14. The amount of pork dropped 7.2 percent, from $21.3 million in fiscal 2005 to $19.8 million in fiscal 2006.
$600,000 for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which seeks to inspire Lincoln observances until his bicentennial birthday in 2009. Because Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and House appropriator Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) are co-chairmen of the commission, it is likely taxpayers will be funding this project for at least three more years.
$18,050,000 for projects at Fort Hood in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member John Carter (R-Texas): $6,800,000 for a physical fitness center; $6,600,000 for a central shipping/receiving point; and $4,650,000 for a fire station. There are six fitness facilities at Fort Hood, including the newly renovated Abrams Physical Fitness Center. According to a local website, “Newly renovated, Abrams is one of the Army's top fitness centers. Equipped with a state-of-the-art life fitness Interactive Training System, computerized cardiovascular equipment with TV access, free weights, two coed saunas, three regular racquetball courts and a Challenge court, an eight-lane 25 meter swimming pool…”
X. SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE (SSJC)
What was known as the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Act is now the Science, Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (SSJC). Besides the usual law enforcement and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pork embedded in this bill is a newcomer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 2006, $1.9 billion of pork was dispersed among 1,987 projects.
$42,650,000 for projects in the state of Senate SSJC Appropriations Subcommittee member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $150,000 for the Wasilla Police Department for technology upgrades. Wasilla had an estimated population of 7,700 in 2004. In comparison, Baltimore City, Maryland received a $100,000 earmark for the same purpose and it has a population of more than 600,000.
$100,000 added by the House for the Harpers Ferry Police Department in West Virginia. The population of Harpers Ferry was less than 400 in 2004 and the police force today consists of two full-time and one part-time police officers. This is the same size police force as the fictional town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Unfortunately, those are real tax dollars for Harpers Ferry.
Tucked away in the SSJC appropriations is $91 million for the Small Business Administration (SBA). According to SBA’s website, its mission is “to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families and businesses recover from national disasters.” The following earmarks were deemed by members of Congress as critical to SBA’s mission:
$2,000,000 added in conference for the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
$2,100,000 added by the Senate for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee for the Southeastern Fiber Optic Project.
$2,000,000 for the Virginia Community College System web portal.
$100,000 for the South Carolina International Center for Automotive Research Park Innovation. This program is located at Clemson University and according to the center’s website: “The campus will be built on 400 acres of prime Greenville, S.C., property that fronts Interstate 85 halfway between Charlotte, N.C. and Atlanta, Ga., a corridor that is home to two-thirds of the nation’s motorsports racing teams. There already are 200 automotive-related businesses in South Carolina and another 114 automotive industry suppliers located in the Palmetto State.” Yes, they are racing away with our tax dollars.
XI. TRANSPORTATION/TREASURY/HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (TTHUD)
Appropriators sped to the fiscal 2006 TTHUD Act to stuff it with their favorite pet projects. The addition of the District of Columbia and HUD created a new dynamic for this bill. But the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) program remained a prime repository for pork. Projects increased by 8 percent, from 1,029 in fiscal 2005 to 1,119 in fiscal 2006. The total cost of EDI pork rose 20 percent from $260 million to $310 million in 2006. The total amount of pork in the TTHUD bill was $3.63 billion.
$82,254,000 for projects added in the state of Senate TTHUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) and House appropriator Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), including: $5,000,000 for St. Louis Zoo public safety and transportation improvement projects; $5,880,000 for the Zora and Main Street Interchange; $750,000 for construction of a youth health museum in Boone County; $500,000 for the Missouri Soybean Association for test plots for the Life Sciences Research Development and Commercialization Project in Boone County. The Zora and Main Street Interchange is Missouri’s very own “bridge to nowhere.” Joplin requested the funding, purportedly to maintain safety and prevent congestion in the town of 50,000 people. But many local residents are adamantly opposed to the project. They maintain that the bridge and the interchange are being constructed on back roads that lie in the middle of nowhere. One resident noted, “They claim they are building this interchange to cut down congestion. There is no congestion. This is a deserted area in a small town.”
$32,375,000 for projects added in the District of Columbia. With D.C. appropriations folded into the fiscal 2006 TTHUD bill, appropriators had the opportunity to improve the economic health of the nation’s capital. Instead, appropriators threw in a plethora of wasteful pork-barrel projects, including: $1,200,000 for the Excel Institute; $1,000,000 for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Lincoln College refurbishments; $500,000 for the Earth Conservation Corps; $495,000 for the Ft. Dupont Ice Arena; $450,000 for the Center for Inspired Teaching; $100,000 for the Camp Arena Stage; $100,000 for the Friends of Carter Barron Foundation for the Performing Arts; and $50,000 for the Capitol Hill Baseball and Softball League. The government should be exercising fiscal responsibility, not supporting a local sports group.
$950,000 for a parking facility at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. The museum, built by the wife of prominent businessman George Joslyn, profits from donations, as well as $7 tours, $25 lectures, $45 memberships, and $220 art classes.
500,000 for construction of the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, North Carolina. Supporters of the project claim that the museum “will expose its visitors to an unexpected art form the teapot.” State Representative Jim Harrell III (D-Alleghany) hopes the public funding will increase private donations and the resulting tourism will boost the local economy. State Senator Don East (R-Alleghany) noted that if lawmakers continued to pass out pork, he wanted “poor little Alleghany County” to get some as well. However, Senator East is not convinced that the museum is going to bring an influx of tourists to the area. In an interview with the Carolina Journal , East admitted, “It’s a crapshoot whether we will ever realize a lot out of tourism. Hopefully we will.” Taxpayers should be steamed that their money is being gambled on this project.
$250,000 for the National Cattle Congress (NCC) in Waterloo, Iowa for renovation and construction of facilities. The NCC sponsors an annual fair and charges $7 for admission. Fair activities include: the Second Annual Cattle Congress Cage Combat, the ‘Survivor” Family Game Show, Jocko & the J’s Monkey Show, and Steeple’s Wild West Bear Show.
$200,000 for expansion of the Wilmington Music School in Wilmington, Delaware. The music school recently held the third annual “Brunch with Beethoven”, at which members could participate in a private auction and attend a champagne- tasting seminar for $45.
$100,000 for the city of Thousand Oaks, California to construct a community aquatics complex on the campus of California Lutheran University. The project, constructed in a town with a median household income of $76,815, will include a 50-meter swimming pool, in which taxpayers can watch their hard-earned money drown.
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