On Tax Day, CAGW Mourns Loss of Tax Dollars

Citizens Against Government Waste ^ | 04-15-05 | CAGW Staff

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On Tax Day, CAGW Mourns Loss of Tax Dollars

(Washington, D.C.) -

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) observes Tax Day 2005 by mourning the loss of billions of dollars to congressional pork and by calling attention to the waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal budget.

“It’s that time of year again,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “The time of year where Americans are forced to shell out exorbitant sums of money to fund inefficient and inept government programs.”

Just in time for Tax Day, CAGW last week released the 2005 Congressional Pig Book which compiles the wasteful pet projects of gluttonous appropriators. Congress managed to jam 13,997 pork projects into the 13 appropriations bills for a total of $27.3 billion. More alarming news for taxpayers is that Congress’ behavior is getting worse. Despite record budget deficits, members of Congress have increased both the number and cost of pork projects for their home districts and states to record amounts. Here a just a few examples of pork for which taxpayers are footing the bill:

· $4,989,000 to Hot Springs National Parks to rehabilitate/stabilize bathhouses for adaptive reuse in Arkansas;

· $1,790,000 for berry research in Alaska;

· $1,500,000 to the Missouri Historical Society for an archive relating to the Congressional career of the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt;

· $1,148,000 for dietary intervention in Ohio;

· $1,000,000 for the Oklahoma City Water Taxi;

· $1,000,000 for the World Birding Center Administrative Building/Visitor Center (Tex.);

· $874,000 to the Center for Food Industry Excellence in Texas;

· $700,000 to Saint Joseph's University for an anti-obesity program;

· $500,000 for the Lewis and Clark explorer shuttle parking in Oregon;

· $472,000 for dairy farm profitability in Pennsylvania;

· $200,000 for the Weed It Now project in the Taconic Mountains in Connecticut, Maine, and New York;

· $200,000 for the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio;

· $125,000 for the USA Stars Cultural Exchange and Diversity Training: Alcohol and Obesity Education Through Sport with Oklahoma Judo;

· $100,000 for the Sistas and Brothas alternatives to gangs and drugs in New York;

· $100,000 for the Lake Oswego historic iron smelter in Oregon;

· $121,250 for the Utah Shakespearean Festival;

· $80,000 to the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center;

· $75,000 to Pennsylvania for hides and leather research; and

· $50,000 for animal waste treatment in South Carolina.

The complete 2005 Congressional Pig Book is available at www.cagw.org

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.