PIG BOOK - 2002

Citizens Against Government Waste
By David E. Williams and Kerrie N. Rezac
2002
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The opening scene of The Godfather depicts the head of a New York "family," Don Vito Corleone, agreeing to perform certain "favors." Corleone does this with the caveat that the favor may have to be returned some day. This scene is reminiscent of what happens when the President's budget gets into the hands of the appropriators. Members of Congress approach the appropriators asking for favors, promising votes in return. They get the goods through a form of legal money laundering, but taxpayers receive only inflated taxes and a bloated bureaucracy.

Many Americans are oblivious to this process until April 15, when the bill comes due for all of Congress's fiscal indiscretions. This year's total reveals that Congress porked out at record levels. For fiscal 2002, appropriators stuck 8,341 projects in the 13 appropriations bills, an increase of 32 percent over last year's total of 6,333 projects. The cost of these projects was $20.1 billion, or 9 percent more than last year's total of $18.5 billion. Total pork identified by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) since 1991 is $140 billion.

This excessive spending comes at a time when the country is at war and facing the return of deficits. The $20.1 billion spent on pork-barrel projects could be used to finance the war against terrorism and ensure the safety of all Americans, at home and abroad. Instead, appropriators used the money for everything from studying fruit in Michigan to a racing museum in South Carolina. National priorities were exchanged for parochial interests.

The top three increases in pork from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2002 were: Transportation from $1.3 billion to $3.6 billion (174 percent); Agriculture from $204 million to $454 million (122 percent); and Commerce/Justice/State from $771 million to $1.2 billion (61 percent).

Alaska again led the nation with $711 per capita ($451 million), or 22 times the national average of $32. The runners up were Hawaii with $353 per capita ($432 million) and West Virginia with $215 per capita ($388 million). The common thread among the top three per-capita states is that they are represented by powerful senators and appropriators - Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.).

Before the United States can win the war on terrorism, we must win the war against pork-barrel spending. Every dollar wasted by the federal government means one less dollar to protect the country from enemies near and far.

The 602 projects, totaling $4.5 billion, in this year's Congressional Pig Book Summary symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples of pork. As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW's seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:

Like a broken record, appropriators once again used the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to whimsically withdraw money with little regard to national needs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a very strict policy of not requesting state- or commodity-specific research grants through the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) special research grants program. Unfortunately, Congress has a strict policy of not listening to USDA. In fact, appropriators earmarked $97 million in special research grants while USDA requested $2.7 million for these projects, a 3,493 percent increase over the budget request. Total agriculture pork in fiscal 2002 was $454 million, or 122 percent more than fiscal 2001's total of $204 million. That's not chicken feed.

$47,160,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Tom Latham (R-Iowa), including: $40,000,000 for the National Animal Disease Center in Ames; $632,000 for midwest agricultural products; $400,000 for manure management research at the National Swine Research Center; $280,000 for the Iowa Vitality Center; $200,000 for hoop barns; and $100,000 for the Trees Forever Program.

$29,707,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $24,000,000 for water and waste disposal systems in Alaska; $1,142,000 for seafood harvesting, processing, and marketing; $720,000 for seafood waste; $631,000 for alternative salmon products; $500,000 to staff each soil and water conservation district; and $120,000 for salmon quality standards.

$23,614,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and House appropriator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $8,400,000 for the National Biological Control Laboratory in Stoneville; $978,000 for advanced spatial technologies; $900,000 for the Wildlife Management Institute; $800,000 for red imported fire ants; $600,000 for corn germplasm research; $280,000 for sweet potato research; and $240,000 for small fruits research.

$9,994,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $3,000,000 for the Cereal Crops Laboratory in Madison; $1,000,000 for dairy forage research; $490,000 for the Food Systems Research Group; $200,000 for urban horticulture; and $200,000 for vegetable crops research.

$8,953,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and the district of House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Henry Bonilla (R-Texas), including: $3,000,000 for a field office telecommunications pilot program; $880,000 for cotton research; $690,000 for designing foods for health; $640,000 for air quality research; $600,000 for plant stress and water conservation research in Lubbock; $240,000 for southwest pecan research; and $200,000 for the Center for North American Studies.

$7,925,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and House appropriator Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $4,500,000 for the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture; $733,000 for aquaculture product and marketing development; and $160,000 for wetland plants.

$6,130,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including: $1,400,000 for improved forage livestock production; $800,000 for health education leadership; $733,000 for precision agriculture; $600,000 for waste management research; and $367,000 for forages for advancing livestock production.

$5,670,000 for wood utilization research (Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Mich., Minn., Miss., N.C., Ore., and Tenn.). Apparently, the many mysteries of wood still elude federal researchers. Since 1985, $67 million has been sapped from the taxpayers for this research.

$5,650,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state Senate appropriator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.): $4,500,000 for the United States Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston; $600,000 for a GIS based model; and $550,000 to study and characterize land-use-change at Clemson University.

$4,760,000 for Pierce's disease research in California, even though state officials and industry professionals believe that the fight against the glassy-winged sharpshooter (the carrier of the disease) is coming to a successful end.

$4,214,000 for shrimp aquaculture research (Ariz., Hawaii, Mass., Miss., S.C., and Texas). Since 1985, $53 million has been appropriated for this research, which has become a staple of the appropriators' diet.

$1,600,000 for the viticulture consortium in California and New York. According to USDA researchers, "The research being carried out is designed to help the viticulture and wine industries remain competitive in the U.S. and in the global market." Since 1996, $6.9 million has been appropriated for this research.

$800,000 for Satsuma Orange research in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and House appropriators Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), Robert Aderholdt (R-Ala.), and Robert Cramer (D-Ala.). Funding for this research started in fiscal 2001 with $475,000 added in conference. According to USDA testimony, no nonfederal funds have been secured and there is no anticipated completion date for the research.

$765,000 for the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) in the district of House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). According to CIFT's website, two projects currently underway involve "technical services to small and start-up food processors throughout the state" and "sensory evaluation services to food processors that lack internal resources in this area." This appropriation doesn't pass the smell test.

$484,000 for the Food Marketing Policy Center at the University of Connecticut, Storrs in the state of House appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). One of the center's projects has been researching the pricing and marketing of cereal. Since 1989, $5.5 million has been appropriated for this center.

$400,000 added by the Senate for the Montana Sheep Institute in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) to improve the competitiveness and profitability of Montana's sheep industry. This is definitely baaaad for taxpayers.

$400,000 for floriculture research in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). Testimony by USDA indicates this research is expected to help the $50 million cut flower and foliage industry in Hawaii. Since 1989, $3.9 million has been appropriated for this research.

$260,000 for asparagus technology and production in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member George Nethercutt (R-Wash.). According to USDA officials, "This research will enable Washington asparagus producers to remain domestically and internationally competitive." Since 2001, $484,000 has been appropriated for this research.

$240,000 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 center will provide "analytical reports to guide the development of retail shopping areas, an 'Economic Handbook for Vermont Counties,' and strategies for using the world wide web." Since 1992, $1 million has been appropriated for this project.

$239,000 added by the Senate for improved fruit practices in Michigan. According to USDA testimony, "The principal researcher believes Michigan's need for this research is to develop and maintain/expand their tree fruit and small fruits industry." Since 1994, $3.8 million has been appropriated for this research. Apparently, not much has improved in eight years.

$194,000 added by the House for tropical aquaculture in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.). According to USDA testimony, "The research is focused on increasing the production efficiency of tropical ornamental fish culture, handling, and transportation techniques." Since 2000, $561,000 has been appropriated for this research. Perhaps researchers could look for new ways to transport the fish home from the pet store in something other than a clear plastic bag.

$76,000 added by the House for produce pricing at Arizona State University in the state of House appropriators Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.). According to testimony by USDA, "the original goal of this research is to understand a variety of pricing problems in the produce industry and to evaluate pricing alternatives." Even though the first appropriation for this project was $75,000 in fiscal 2001, as of April 26, 2001, USDA had not received a proposal from Arizona State University.

Americans are counting on the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State to execute key objectives in the war on terror - to hold together diplomatic coalitions, monitor intelligence for future threats, guard borders, and bring terrorists to justice. Yet appropriators diverted critically needed funds from the departments to such pet projects as tropical fish research, after school arts programs and tourism enhancement.

Commerce/Justice/State pork tripled between fiscal years 1999 and 2001. Congress allowed pork in the fiscal 2002 bill to rise another 61 percent, up from $771 million in fiscal 2001 to $1.2 billion. The number of earmarks rose 65 percent, from 499 to 821.

$62,438,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $9,400,000 for the Juneau Fisheries Laboratory; $5,500,000 for Kasitsna Bay Laboratory at the University of Alaska; $3,500,000 for the stellar sea lion recovery plan at North Pacific University; $2,000,000 for the Canada Alaska Rail Commission; $1,000,000 for University of Alaska stellar sea lion recovery; $1,000,000 for groundfish monitoring and crab and scallop license monitoring; $750,000 to prevent Atlantic salmon from escaping state streams; $500,000 for stellar sea lion recovery at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, whose membership rates run from $150 to $750 a year (why not just raise rates?); $250,000 to prepare discussions regarding the Columbia River hydrosystem management; $250,000 for the United Fisherman of Alaska; and $150,000 for the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission. Sen. Stevens captured 5.8 percent of the Commerce/Justice/State pork projects, representing 5.2 percent of the total cost. Is he planning to catch fish or terrorists?

$60,834,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.), including: $14,000,000 for the Hollings Marine Laboratory (formerly known as the Environmental Health Laboratory); $8,000,000 for the Medical University of South Carolina (home to the Hollings Cancer Center); $2,000,000 for the University of South Carolina School of Public Health; $1,000,000 for software, personnel and equipment at the Charleston U.S. Attorney's Office; and $150,000 for bluefish at the Charleston Bump. Narcissism can be costly to taxpayers.

$44,925,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and the district of House appropriator John Sununu (R-N.H.), including: $6,000,000 for the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth; $3,350,000 for the Institute of Politics at St. Anslem's College; $650,000 for the Mount Washington Technology Village; $500,000 for the Mount Washington Observatory; and $230,000 for weather radio transmitters.

$33,948,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $4,200,000 for the refurbishment of the ship ADVENTUROUS; $3,000,000 for Hawaiian sea turtles; $1,500,000 for the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary; $750,000 for Hawaii fisheries development at the Oceanic Institute; $200,000 for the University of Hawaii Globalization Research Center; and $100,000 for the Na Keika Law Center.

$16,376,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $3,000,000 for the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law at the University of Mississippi Law School; $2,500,000 for the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology at Stennis Space Center; $1,500,000 for the GORDON GUNTER, whose home port is Pascagoula (also home port to Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott [R-Miss.]); and $619,000 for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

$14,140,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the district of House Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), including: $1,500,000 for the Southern Kentucky Economic Development Corporation; $1,000,000 for the Southern Kentucky Tourism Development Association; $450,000 to Southern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries for small business development; and $175,000 for the Buckhorn Wilderness program in Hazard.

$12,335,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and House appropriator Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), including: $4,000,000 to implement the forest and fish report of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources; $700,000 for the Murray-Metcalf Northwest Straits Citizens Advisory Commission; and $180,000 for two projects at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory ($179,000 for climate research and $1,000 for weather and air quality research).

$11,155,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $1,500,000 for laptop computers at the Madison Police Department; $500,000 for a business development assistance program at the Chippewa Falls Industrial Development Corporation; and $450,000 for weather radio transmitters.

$7,500,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and the district of House Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Alan Mollahan (D-W.Va.), including: $1,100,000 for the MountainMade Foundation in Thomas for business development and the education of artists and craftspeople; $500,000 to continue the small business development outreach program at Wheeling Jesuit University; and $500,000 for the West Virginia High Tech Consortium Foundation for a small business commercialization grant program.

$4,425,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), including: $3,000,000 for the Clearwater Economic Development Administration for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Bi-state public safety project and $300,000 to develop a virtual business incubator at Lewis and Clark College.

$2,000,000 each for DNA research projects at the University of New Haven and the University of Connecticut in the state of House appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).

$1,000,000 added by the Senate for the North/South Center in Florida. For the fourth year in a row, the House did not request funding for the center. Prior to 1991, the center operated on private funding, receiving occasional competitively awarded federal grants. Since the center began receiving a direct federal subsidy 11 years ago, it has received nearly $45 million.

$1,000,000 added by the House for the Career Education Center at the West Farms Alternative High School in the district of House Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.).

$1,000,000 for Green Thumb, Inc. to expand small businesses and help elderly entrepreneurs. This organization has had both hands in the federal cookie jar - it has secured $5.42 million since 2000.

$450,000 added by the Senate for Pacific tropical ornamental fish research. Since 2000, this project has received $1.15 million.

$400,000 added by the House for exchange programs to build linkages between American and foreign musicians. The hills are alive with the sound of squealing pigs.

$350,000 for after school programs at the Rock Creek School of Pennsylvania Ballet, in Philadelphia, Pa. and Camden, N.J.

$250,000 added by the Senate for the Irish Institute. The Institute has received $1.25 million since 2000.

$50,000 added by the House in the district of Lois Capps (D-Calif.) for a tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo.

Winning the war on terrorism will not be cheap. From developing sophisticated weapons systems to bolstering intelligence and the morale of America's fighting men and women, defense spending is the nation's top priority. But this critical mission for the Pentagon is being hindered by the special interest pork-barrel projects slipped in by congressional appropriators every year. Although the total number of pork projects increased by 22 percent, from 1,147 in fiscal 2001 to 1,404 in fiscal 2002, total pork decreased by 8.6 percent from $9.6 billion to $8.8 billion. At a time when every defense dollar truly is needed to protect America from its determined enemies, there is still much work to be done.

$268,300,000 for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $42,500,000 for the Kaho'olawe Island Conveyance Fund (since 1996, CAGW has identified $102 million appropriated for this cleanup); $15,300,000 for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network; $6,000,000 for the Pacific Disaster Center; $4,000,000 for Project Albert; $2,600,000 for the Hawaii National Guard Counter-Drug Program; $2,000,000 for thin layered chromotopography; and $1,000,000 for the Hickman Air Force Base alternative fuel vehicle program.

$125,000,000 added by the House for additional advance procurement for a DDG-51 destroyer to be built in Maine and Mississippi. President Bush criticized the House's funding for the extra DDG-51, saying it would "come at the expense of more urgent needs."

$73,425,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $12,800,000 for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP); $10,200,000 for the Department of Transportation to realign railroad tracks at the Elemendorf Air Force Base ($10 million was appropriated for this same purpose in fiscal 2001); and $3,400,000 for the Barrow Landfill. Initially designed to capture energy from the aurora borealis (northern lights), HAARP is now being configured to heat up the ionosphere to improve military communications. Instead, HAARP is heating up the ire of many taxpayers. Web surfers can check out to see how their tax dollars are being spent. Since 1995, CAGW has identified $82.8 million appropriated for HAARP.

$46,100,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Defense Appropriations subcommittee member Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), including: $10,500,000 for a public/private partnering initiative; $8,500,000 for an integrated medical information technology system; $5,200,000 for green armament technology; and $3,500,000 for preparedness at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

$15,000,000 added by the Senate for the Citadel in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.). With a current enrollment of 1,900 cadets, this "financial aid" calculates to $7,800 per student.

$14,500,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.): $8,500,000 for the city of San Bernardino; $3,500,000 for the Twentynine Palms Marine Air Ground Combat Center; and $2,500,000 for Norton Air Force Base.

$10,900,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Defense Appropriations subcommittee member Joe Skeen (R-N.M.): $8,400,000 for the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and $2,500,000 for the Holloman Air Force high speed test track.

$9,600,000 for the National Automotive Center (NAC) in the state of House appropriators Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.). One of the projects currently underway by the NAC is the smart truck initiative. If this truck were so smart it would have known to go through proper budgetary procedures before securing funding.

Every year numerous items not related to defense are inserted into the Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill, further hindering the Secretary of Defense's ability to win the war on terrorism:

$25,000,000 added by the House to establish an Army Venture Capital Investment Corporation.

$1,500,000 for a large millimeter wave telescope. In fiscal 2001, appropriators added $4 million for this same project. This telescope, a joint project between the United States and Mexico, will help researchers study the formation of stars and galaxies billions of years ago and how stars are forming in our galaxy right now. A fancy telescope isn't needed to see the black hole into which our defense dollars are disappearing.

$1,500,000 added by the Senate for research and development of business/technical manuals.

$1,000,000 added by the Senate for math teacher leadership. Here is a simple math equation that doesn't need federal funds: in fiscal 2001 there was $18.5 billion in pork-barrel spending and Pentagon officials predicted an $18 billion shortfall in the defense budget to fight the war on terrorism.

$750,000 added by the House for the Center for Solar Geophysical Interactions at Mt. Wilson Observatory in Pasadena, California. A thorough analysis of the observatory's website uncovered no defense-related research. But then again, the homepage hasn't been updated since 1996.

$750,000 added by the House for minority aviation training at the William Lehman Aviation Center at Florida Memorial College in the district of House appropriator Carrie Meek (D-Fla.). According to a February 2000 press release by Rep. Meek and Florida Memorial College, this center will help develop minority aviators and skilled aviation workers for the military and private sector. According to school officials, the federal funds will provide scholarships for tuition, room, and board to 12 students. That's $41,000 per year per student, making Florida Memorial College more expensive than Harvard, Yale, or any other undergraduate university. When exactly did the Department of Defense merge with the Department of Education?

From Marion Barry to Mike Tyson, Washington, D.C. has had its share of controversy. Congressional appropriators added fuel to this already burning fire by appropriating $10.1 million for unrequested earmarks in the D.C. Appropriations Bill. The good news is that total pork in fiscal 2002 is down 34 percent from last year's total of $15.1 million.

$2,000,000 added by the House for Food and Friends. This organization delivers meals to HIV/AIDS patients in the District. The program is being run by Craig M. Shniderman, a convicted criminal who previously stole money from another charity.

$500,000 added by the Senate for the Historical Society of Washington for capital improvements to the new City Museum, which is not scheduled to open until 2003. D.C Council Chairwoman and museum supporter Linda Cropp said, "The new City Museum will showcase Washingtoniana - the history of the city, including its neighborhoods, citizens, schools, businesses, civic associations and of course, politics and government." There is no truth to the rumor that one of the exhibits will be titled "Fiscal Mismanagement Throughout the Years."

$500,000 added by the Senate for the Washington D.C. Sports Commission and Entertainment Commission in coordination with the U.S. Soccer Foundation for environmental and infrastructure costs at Kenilworth Park for creation of the Kenilworth Regional Sports Complex.

Energy and Water subcommittee appropriators continue to think they can outwit CAGW porkbusters by inflating appropriations beyond original budget requests. After the release of the 2001 Congressional Pig Book Summary, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) claimed, on the Senate floor, that CAGW was wrong - all of his projects had budget requests. Apparently, the King of Pork did not read all seven of CAGW's criteria since a project is pork if it "greatly exceeds the president's request." This year, 42 percent (330) of the energy and water projects featured had budget requests, but those amounts did not sate appropriators' appetites.

These voracious spendthrifts added money for another 451 projects despite the absence of any budget requests, bringing total pork projects to 781 for fiscal 2002, a 54 percent increase from the 507 in fiscal 2001. These projects will cost taxpayers $1.4 billion, 57 percent greater than last year's $880 million cost. House and Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee members (just 5 percent of Congress) diverted $659.5 million, or 47 percent of the current year's total, for their own districts and states.

$80,080,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and House appropriator Alan Mollahan (D-W.Va.), including: $20,900,000 for major rehabilitation of Marmet Lock on the Kanawha River; $9,430,000 for two dam safety projects at Bluestone Lake; $7,000,000 for a positron emission tomography facility at West Virginia University; $2,000,000 for operation and maintenance at Wheeling Creek; $1,200,000 for the Greenbrier River Basin; and $100,000 for Army Corps of Engineers investigations on the Little Kanawha River.

$50,317,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $19,000,000 for demonstration erosion control; $3,000,000 for a biomass project in Winona; $2,000,000 for Sardis Lake; $1,000,000 for renovation of the Science, Technology, and Engineering Research Complex at Jackson State University; and $100,000 for Hancock County.

$45,821,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), including: $34,300,000 for the Hanford waste management site in Richland; $3,000,000 for the Howard Hansen Dam; $796,000 for the Lake Washington Ship Channel; $750,000 for the Inland Northwest Natural Resources Research Center at Gonzaga University; and $500,000 for Shoalwater Bay shoreline erosion.

$44,480,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $11,000,000 for operations and capital investment at the Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery Institute in Albuquerque; $5,000,000 for Army Corps of Engineers construction on central New Mexico water projects; $1,500,000 for the Upper Rio Grande water operations model; and $125,000 for the Pecos River Basin water salvage project.

$43,000,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), including: $10,700,000 for the operation and maintenance of Mobile Harbor; $1,650,000 for a new library and resource center at Spring Hill College in Mobile; and $1,000,000 each for research projects on fuel cell technology at the University of South Alabama and the Smart Energy Management Control System.

$40,204,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.), including: $11,648,000 for Lakes Marion and Moultrie; $2,500,000 for Charleston Harbor deepening and widening; $1,000,000 for the Oncology Center (also known as the Hollings Cancer Center) at the Medical University of South Carolina; and $100,000 for Santee Delta environmental restoration.

$32,045,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $8,000,000 for a flood control project at the Tropicana and Flamingo Washes; $2,000,000 for a linear accelerator at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada; $1,500,000 for a water recycling project in southern Nevada; and $250,000 for the research foundation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

$28,439,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), including: $5,000,000 for the Mid-Dakota rural water project; $3,400,000 for the Perkins County rural water district; $2,000,000 for the Lewis and Clark rural water system; and $100,000 for the Crow Creek Tribe water supply.

$21,792,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $2,000,000 for the Sealaska ethanol project; $500,000 for Kenai River bluff erosion; $400,000 for Anchorage Harbor deepening; $250,000 for the St. Paul and Unalaska wind generation facility; $100,000 for St. George navigation improvements; and $100,000 for the Ship Creek Watershed. Our tax dollars are up Ship's Creek.

$15,635,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.) and House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), including: $2,000,000 for the University of Missouri-Columbia to expand their nuclear medicine and cancer research capital program; $1,635,000 for the operation and maintenance of Clearwater Lake; $850,000 for St. John's Bayou and New Madrid Floodway; and $240,000 for the operation and maintenance of Caruthersville Harbor.

$6,895,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including $1,000,000 for a Washington Electric Cooperative wind energy facility and $500,000 for a Vermont Department of Public Service small wind program. Our tax dollars are "Blowin' in the Wind."

$4,900,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $1,500,000 for a fuel cell installation project in Gallatin County; $1,500,000 for the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery; and $350,000 for Big Sky Economic Development Authority demonstration fuel cell technology. Apparently, Montana will be the center of the new fuel cell universe.

$3,000,000 added by the Senate for the Million Solar Roofs Initiative. The goal of this program, announced by President Bill Clinton before the United Nations in 1997, is to get solar energy tiles on top of 1 million buildings by 2010. The Million Roofs website promises, "The Initiative will not direct and control the activities at the state and local level nor will it typically pay for the installation of solar energy systems." Yet the program has been awarded $6 million since 1999.

$2,189,000 for projects in Savannah in the district of House appropriator Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), including $1,089,000 for the operation and maintenance of Savannah Harbor. Rep. Kingston has to keep the harbor looking good for the Savannah Water Ferry, for which he has obtained $2.4 million since 1999 through the Transportation Appropriations bill (see page 46).

$1,700,000 added by the Senate for the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Ohio and West Virginia. Appropriators should put locks on this dam money.

$1,500,000 added by the House for the operation and maintenance of Waco Lake in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Chet Edwards (D-Texas). The project has received $6,159,000 since fiscal 1999.

$1,120,000 added by the House for construction, operation and maintenance for Carr Creek Lake in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Harold Rogers (R-Ky.).

$1,000,000 added in conference for the continued development of the Life Sciences Building at Brown University in the state of Senate appropriator Jack Reed (D-R.I.). Brown's endowment is $1.44 billion, which means the university would have only had to use .07 percent of those funds to support this project.

$1,000,000 for Indiana Shoreline erosion in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.). Rep. Visclosky's pet project has received $9,440,000 since fiscal 1996.

The good news from the fiscal 2002 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill is that only three of the 28 (11 percent) House and Senate subcommittee members added earmarks benefiting their states or districts. For the most part, international priorities overcame porcine provinciality. The better news is the cost of Foreign Operations pork declined 31 percent from $227 million to $157.6 million. Total earmarks declined 39 percent, from 41 to 25.

The bad news, of course, is that in this time of international turmoil, Foreign Operations earmarks did not completely disappear. Instead, appropriators allowed special interest items like the International Fund for Ireland and the United States Telecommunications Training Institute to remain on the dole.

$25,000,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) in support of the Anglo-Irish Accord. This U.S. contribution to the fund is to be spent on "those projects that hold the greatest potential for job creation and equal opportunity for the Irish people." Such projects have included building a replica of the Jeanie Johnson (a Canadian ship that once ferried famine victims across the Atlantic), a national water sports center used for coaching top-level athletes, golf videos, pony trekking centers, and sweater exporting. IFI's 2001 accomplishments included the reopening of Walsh's Hotel in Maghera and opening the Sligo Fold Park in Riverstown, which features a restored farmhouse and an agricultural museum. Through war and peace, rain and shine, surplus and deficits, IFI receives funding, accumulating $396 million since 1986.

$8,000,000 to help the U.S. dairy industry become more competitive by promoting U.S. technology, equipment, inputs, and industry-based technical assistance in developing markets.

$5,000,000 added by the Senate to provide computer equipment, internet access, and other assistance to schools in Armenia. Yes, that's Armenia, not America.

$4,000,000 added in the state of Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the district of House appropriator Robert "Bud" Cramer (D-Ala.) for the International Fertilizer Development Center in Muscle Shoals. Since 1997, the center has received $13 million.

$3,000,000 added by the Senate for a small business project promoting private sector technology start-ups in the Republic of Georgia.

$2,500,000 added by the House in the district of House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) for the International Arid Lands Consortium in Tucson to address the "critical" issues of water and energy in the Middle East.

$1,000,000 in the state of Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) for the Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT) program at the School for International Training in Brattleboro. In the last five years, CONTACT has averaged 40 participants per year, making this appropriation a $25,000 subsidy for each student.

$500,000 added by the Senate for the United States Telecommunications Training Institute, a business-government program that trains telecommunications leaders in developing countries. Sponsorship of such training by multinational telecommunications giants raise questions about the need for any government funding.

For the past two years the Interior Appropriations Bill has been the home of one of the most notorious pork-barrel projects - the refurbishment of the Vulcan Statue in Birmingham, Alabama. Despite an attempt by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to eliminate funding, Vulcan lives. From land acquisition to a National Park Service grant to the Philadelphia Orchestra, appropriators continue to enjoy larding up Interior Appropriations with their "urgent" needs. The good news is that total pork in the Interior Appropriations Bill was $443 million, or 28 percent less than last year's tally of $617 million. In addition, the total number of projects decreased by 12 percent from 468 to 409.

$52,273,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $2,500,000 for the Anchorage Museum; $2,000,000 for kilns in southeast and south-central Alaska; $536,000 for the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage; $500,000 for Alaska moving image preservation; $300,000 for the Cordova visitor center; and $250,000 for the Alaska market access program. Nabbing more than 11 percent of total Interior pork for fiscal 2002, Alaska already has far too much access to our money.

$22,676,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $7,000,000 for land acquisition for the Swan Valley Conservation Project; $2,500,000 for the Fort Benton visitor center; $650,000 for land acquisition for the Garnet Ghost Town; $350,000 for the Montana cadastral project; and $250,000 for whirling disease research.

$18,081,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $7,356,000 for the New River Gorge National River; $2,400,000 for the Leetown Science Center; $300,000 for the Arturdale Historic Community; and $95,000 for the West Virginia State Museum for its Civil War regimental flag collection.

$16,576,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $6,000,000 for land acquisition at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; $2,000,000 for land acquisition at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge; $740,000 for the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program; and $50,000 for the Bishop Museum moving image collection.

$9,750,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $5,000,000 to complete the federal share of the Palace of the Governors; $1,800,000 for the Hispanic Cultural Center; and $1,200,000 for the Crownpoint Institute of Technology.

$9,200,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), including: $8,000,000 for the controversial Abraham Lincoln Library, which was supposed to be a local project costing $40 million but is now up to $120 million with a substantial federal role; $350,000 for the Chicago Wilderness Program; and $200,000 for the Hegeler-Carus Mansion. This mansion is named after its architect, zinc magnate Edward Hegeler and his son-in-law Paul Carus, a publisher.

$2,923,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.): $2,558,000 for a Rapid City research laboratory and $365,000 for the University of South Dakota's old women's gym/original armory.

$2,640,000 for projects in the district of House Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Charles Taylor (D-N.C.): $1,165,000 for Cradle of Forestry volunteer facilities; $850,000 for Nanatahela National Forest recreation projects; $300,000 for the Biltmore School in Asheville; $250,000 for Cradle of Forestry conservation education; and $75,000 for Graham and Swain counties.

$2,000,000 added by the Senate for the Vulcan Monument in Birmingham, Alabama, in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). This statue was built in 1903 to represent Alabama at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. After the World's Fair, it was moved back to Birmingham as a tribute to the steel industry. Now it's a tribute to Sen. Shelby's ability to bring home the bacon.

$450,000 added in conference to restore chimneys on Cumberland Island in the district of House Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). Cumberland Island is a popular getaway for vacationers. Its website boasts that the island is one of Georgia's best-kept secrets. The smoke coming out those chimneys will be tax dollars burning.

In fiscal 2002, Congress added $15 million in noncompetitive, unauthorized earmarks through the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund, including:

$1,000,000 for the Lincoln Historic Building in the district of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Joe Skeen (R-N.M.).

$500,000 for the Wooster City Schools Building in the district of House Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Ralph Regula (R-Ohio).

$425,000 for the George Ohr Museum and Cultural Center in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). This museum is dedicated to an eccentric 19th-century potter.

$330,000 for the Robert Mills Courthouse in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.).

$280,000 for the Lincoln Courthouse in the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.)

$250,000 for the USS Alabama in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and House appropriators Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.) and Robert Cramer (D-Ala.). This project also received $500,000 through the Department of Housing and Urban and Development's Economic Development Initiative Program (see page 53).

The fiscal 2002 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill is what happens when legislators wait until December to pass spending bills. Congress is so overcome by Yuletide cheer that members will give away the farm (or tourism programs or paleontology specimens) to any rapacious appropriator. The conference report - the last of the 13 bills - did not come up for a House floor vote until December 19. The Senate floor vote came a day later, sparing no time before the holiday for non-appropriators to sink their teeth into the 229-page conference report, let alone investigate the merit of any of the 1,290 projects. That total was a 28 percent increase from fiscal 2001's 1,009 projects. The projects cost $1.2 billion, up 18 percent from the previous year's $1 billion.

One reason for this pork explosion was that appropriators turned the Fund for the Improvement of Education into a giant slush fund. Despite the Fund's statutory purpose to use a peer-review process and make competitive awards, appropriators sprinkled 450 projects, 35 percent of the total, throughout the Labor/HHS bill.

$311,978,000 added in conference for the construction of "health care and other facilities." The House and the administration requested no funding while the Senate requested a mere $10 million. In conference, committee negotiators compiled a list of facilities that are to receive a part of this pork pie. There were no specific allocations, but of the 357 facilities cited, 229 are in states that have an appropriator on either the House or Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee. That means just 6 percent of Congress (the 32 House and Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee members) represented 64 percent of the facilities on the list. Now that's hazardous to taxpayers' health.

$78,525,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (R-Iowa), including: $50,000,000 to expand the Iowa School Construction project; $3,000,000 for the Iowa Communications Network; $500,000 for exhibits on the Sullivan brothers at the Grout Museum in Waterloo; $100,000 for Invent Iowa to encourage children to hold fairs displaying their inventions; $100,000 for the Iowa Parent Training Information Center to give legal advice to parents; and $61,000 for the State Historical Society to archive the history of Iowa workers.

$49,108,000 for 119 projects, the most for any state and 9 percent of total Labor/HHS earmarks, in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee members John Peterson (R-Pa.) and Donald Sherwood (R-Pa.), including: $20,000,000 to provide assistance to low-performing school districts slated for takeover by the state; $700,000 for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia; $300,000 for the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association; $250,000 for the Philadelphia Zoo; $200,000 for the Everhart Museum in Scranton; $175,000 for the Philadelphia Orchestra; $75,000 for the Accent on Dance after school program at the Pennsylvania Ballet; and $25,000 for an educational outreach program at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

$38,282,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Granger (R-Texas), including: $18,000,000 for Project GRAD-USA, Inc.; $1,600,000 for Midland College for training and safety programs for students who wish to work in the oil and gas industries; $800,000 for Southern Methodist University to increase enrollment in engineering programs; $600,000 for a school-to-work curriculum focused on careers in travel and tourism at the American Airlines Travel Academy; and $500,000 for science education and optical observatory equipment at Tarleton State University. It must have been feeding time at the O-Kay Corral - the two Kays scored a 56 percent increase in pork this year, up from $24.5 million in fiscal 2001.

$31,736,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula (R-Ohio), including: $1,500,000 for science equipment at Heidelburg University; $1,200,000 for the Ohio Arts Council to expand international programs; $200,000 for the Rockin' the Schools music education program at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland; $100,000 for the Clark County Historical Museum; and $40,000 each for educational programming in 15 school districts and at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

$22,955,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS subcommittee member Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $1,000,000 for the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee for its Teen Agenda program; $500,000 for the Weis Earth Science Museum in Menasha for videos, simulated mine tunnels and paleontology specimens; $500,000 for exhibits and programming at the Kenosha Civil War Museum; $200,000 for the D.C. Everest School District's history day project; and $75,000 for library technology programs and equipment in the Village of Hawkins (population 375).

$20,000,000 added by the Senate for the Denali Commission in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). The commission was established in 1998 to funnel federal economic development aid to Alaska, but has expanded to cover federal assistance for building hospitals, health care centers and other medical facilities. Since 2000, the Denali Commission has received $80 million.

$19,567,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), including: $1,500,000 for the Illinois Virtual High School; $450,000 for a work-study cooperative program at Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights; $400,000 for equipment at the Computer Technology Center at Kishwaukee College; $250,000 for the Challenge Learning Center in Bloomington-Normal; $250,000 for teacher training initiatives and curriculum development at the Field Museum in Chicago; and $225,000 for arts integrated curriculum development at the Chicago Children's Choir.

$17,360,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $2,900,000 for the Mountaineer Doctor Television program at West Virginia University; $2,000,000 for an educational mall at the Raleigh County Commission in Beckley; $2,000,000 for West Virginia University to establish a Center on Obesity; $1,000,000 for technology at the University of Charleston with the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences; and $200,000 for faculty, curriculum development and a computer science program at Glenville State College.

$14,940,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $5,000,000 for the Mississippi State Board of Community and Junior Colleges for automotive workforce training programs; $900,000 for the Mississippi Delta Education Initiative at Delta State University; $850,000 for the University of Mississippi Foundation in Oxford for educational and preservation programs at Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner; $500,000 for the Madison County School District to study the impact of the sudden influx of a large number of students into the district; $350,000 for the University of Mississippi National Library of the Accounting Profession; $200,000 for automotive engineering training at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University; and $50,000 for the wireless computer laboratory at East Central Community College in Ellisville.

$14,170,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Anne Northup (R-Ky.), including: $500,000 for the Sleep Medicine Center at the University of Louisville; $100,000 for Career Resources, Inc. in Louisville for a workforce computer training program; $50,000 for the Kentucky Opera in Louisville; and $35,000 for after school programs by the Shawnee Gardens Tenants Association in Louisville (12 Louisville schools received grants for after school programs, totaling $500,000).

$9,440,000 for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $1,721,000 for an e-Health program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; $420,000 for Hawthorne Elementary and Junior High School to buy each student a laptop computer; $300,000 for the Jack C. Davis Observatory at Western Nevada Community College; $250,000 for NevadaWorks, to create a job skills training program to help residents meet the employment needs of the area's new businesses; $249,000 for Schurz Elementary School to buy each student a laptop computer; and $160,000 to give students in Clark County who do not plan to attend college instruction in nursing and home health aid.

$5,315,000 for museums and arts programs in the state of Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee members Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Randy Cunningham (R-Calif.) including: $1,200,000 for music education at the GRAMMY Foundation; $1,000,000 for model arts education at the de Young Museum in San Francisco; $290,000 for a Santa Barbara Maritime Museum environmental exhibit; and $100,000 for the Eden Alternative Project at the Motion Picture and Television Fund and the University of California.

$1,450,000 added in conference for an urban health initiative and a Child Study Center at Yale University in the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). Tuition and room and board at Yale will total $35,370 for the 2002 - 2003 school year and Yale's endowment is more than $10.5 billion, making it one of the richest universities in the nation. Surely the Bulldogs shouldn't depend on hardworking taxpayers to fund these projects.

$1,000,000 added in conference in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) to train students in museum services at St. Petersburg College.

$850,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate appropriator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) for venue operations, spectator services, broadcast support and ceremonies at the 2002 Paralympic Games.

$750,000 added in conference in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Larry Craig (R-Idaho) for the Performance and Education facility at the University of Idaho to preserve the history of jazz and teach it to future generations. The university is certainly preserving one thing - the taxpayer blues.

$500,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.) for ScienceSouth, Inc. for a traveling science exhibit and outreach activities.

$273,000 added in conference in the state of Senate appropriator Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.) for the Blue Springs Youth Outreach Unit for educational training in combating Goth culture.

$150,000 added in conference for the International Storytelling Center in the district of Rep. William Jenkins (R-Tenn.).

$50,000 added in conference in the district of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) for an after school music and arts program for the Westchester Philharmonic in Hartsdale. Westchester County's per capita income is twice the national average.

$50,000 added in conference in the district of House appropriator Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) for the Gordo Public Library. This appropriation could buy each of Gordo's 1,677 residents a shiny new hardcover book.

$26,000 added in conference for teacher training, student transportation to ZooWorld for a science project, and technology training for Bay County School District, in the district of Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.).

Traditionally one of the most pork-free bills, the sheer volume of 8,341 projects meant that even the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill was larded up in fiscal 2002. There was $34.5 million in pork for fiscal 2002, an increase of 35 percent over last year's total of $25.5 million.

$18,080,735 added by the House for the National Digital Library. The Senate did not fund this project because it was under the impression that the fiscal 2001 appropriation was supposed to be a one-time expenditure.

$8,000,000 added by the Senate for the Russian Leadership Development Fund. In the past, funds have been used to fly Russian political, business and community leaders to the United States. Activities have included a visit to the Festival Flea Market in Florida, a trip to the Coors brewery in Colorado, and a swing dance.

$1,500,000 added by the House for a pilot program to teach educators how to incorporate the Library of Congress's primary source digital materials into school curricula in the state of House Legislative Branch Appropriations subcommittee member Ray Lahood (R-Ill.).

Pork in the Military Construction Appropriations Bill continues its downward trend. The total amount of pork in fiscal 2002 was $881 million, or 38 percent less than last year's total of $1.4 billion. The biggest reason for this reduced pork was the president's increased budget request of $9.9 billion in fiscal 2002, a 24 percent increase over the $8 billion in fiscal 2001. Even with increased budget requests, Congress still found many ways to add their own projects.

$38,022,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $21,389,000 for a center/organizational maintenance shop for the Army National Guard at Glen Jean; $6,433,000 for a readiness center for the Army National Guard at Williamstown; $2,000,000 for an integrated special operations facility at Camp Dawson; and $100,000 for a U.S. Army Museum Support Center in Martinsburg.

$29,495,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $18,000,000 for a Mout training facility at Fort Richardson; $7,568,000 for a readiness center for the Army National Guard in Juneau; $600,000 for a physical fitness center at Fort Wainwright; and $300,000 for the Blair Lake vehicle maintenance facility at Eielson Air Force Base.

$28,589,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $12,184,000 for an Army Reserve controlled humidity storage warehouse in Gulfport; $4,680,000 for a fleet operations facility at the Pascagoula Naval Air Station; $3,055,000 for a readiness center for the Army National Guard in Batesville; and $300,000 for a readiness center in Kosciusko.

$23,000,000 added by the House for a direct support maintenance shop at Fort Irwin in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.).

$19,214,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.): $12,200,000 for a live ordnance loading area at Ellsworth Air Force Base; $6,500,000 for runway/taxiway improvements for the Air National Guard at Joe Foss Field in Sioux City; and $514,000 for a readiness center in Watertown.

$14,011,000 added by the Senate for a readiness center for the Army National Guard in Azusa in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

$14,000,000 added by the House for Phase II of the industrial skills center at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.).

$6,877,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.): $6,150,000 for two projects at Malmstrom Air Force Base ($4.65 million for a child development center and $1.5 million for an engineer storage facility) and $727,000 for an entryway/guard facility at Fort Harrison.

$5,100,000 added by the House for a health and wellness center at McConnell Air Force Base in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas).

$4,000,000 added by the House for two projects for the Air National Guard at Hancock Field in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member James Walsh (R-N.Y.): $2,500,000 for a composite readiness support facility and $1,500,000 for a civil engineering facility.

Unlike pork in other bills, Military Construction pork is not limited to the United States:

$7,748,000 added by the House for Phase II of an Army National Guard readiness center in Guam.

$5,500,000 added by the House for an Air Force base supply warehouse in Incirlik, Turkey.

$5,290,000 added by the House for two projects at Camp Schwab, Japan: $3,800,000 for an Army special forces training range and $1,490,000 for a Navy 3rd Marine expeditionary force training facility.

While other committees were busy debating the pros and cons of federalizing airport baggage inspection workers, House and Senate appropriators were adding record amounts of pork to the Transportation Appropriations Bill. Led by the examples of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), appropriators added an amazing 1,478 projects totaling $3.6 billion to the bill. That's an 80 percent increase in the number of projects (821) and a 174 percent increase in the cost of pork ($1.3 billion) from fiscal 2001.

Just like the bill federalizing airport security, the fiscal 2002 Transportation Appropriations Bill leaves little up to the discretion of state and local entities. Appropriators took $544 million away from states under the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) highway agreement. They also gave 220 grants to their pet communities under the Transportation and Community and Systems Preservation program, 86 to their most prized Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants programs, and 53 to their favorite ferry boats. There's even $6.8 million for their beloved bicycle paths. Their choices left limited room for either local control or competition.

$544,423,717 in federal highway funds were removed from state control and put into the hands of congressional appropriators, allowing them to fund their pet road projects. As a result, several Transportation Appropriations subcommittee members' states are poised to receive far more than was intended in 1998 under TEA-21, including: $40,625,294 in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas); $18,254,834 in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Durbin (D-Ill.); and $13,094,602 in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.).

$147,955,693 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.), including: $9,500,000 for Sound Transit Regional Transportation hubs; $4,000,000 for a dolphin replacement project at the Bainbridge-Seattle Ferry; $2,000,000 for Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride; $1,600,000 for the Olympic Discovery Trail; and $200,000 for international ferry service between Blaine, Wash. and White Rock, British Colombia. That is 717 percent more than the $18.1 million Sen. Murray brought home in fiscal 2001, even though last year she had a cohort on the appropriations committee, former Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.). $134,662,359 for projects in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and in the districts of House Transportation Appropriations subcommittee members Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), and House appropriator Robert "Bud" Cramer (D-Ala.), including: $7,000,000 for the University of Alabama Transportation Research Institute; $5,000,000 for the Mobile Waterfront Terminal and Maritime Center of the Gulf; $2,500,000 for buses at the University of South Alabama in Mobile; $1,000,000 for the Fairhope Trax and Trails program; and $375,000 for a campus transit study at Auburn University. Forty-four percent of Alabama's congressional delegation sits on the House and Senate appropriations committees.

$122,925,556 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $20,000,000 for King Coal Highway; $16,000,000 for Coalfields Expressway; $1,250,000 for West Virginia University Constructed Facilities Center to conduct composite structure research; and $400,000 for streetscape improvements and a welcome center in Charles Town. Sen. Byrd's efforts to pave over the state of West Virginia continue at the expense of the rest of the country.

$107,024,278 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $20,000,000 for Alaska Railroad Rehabilitation ($90 million has been added for this project without a budget or House request over the last seven years); $10,000,000 for ferries and facilities at Coffman Cove and Mitkof Island; $850,000 for parking at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge; $650,000 for Shotgun Cove Road; and $500,000 for the Kenai River Trail.

$66,440,803 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $9,000,000 for a metro project in the Philadelphia Schuylkill Valley; $1,250,000 for an intermodal transportation center in Hershey; $1,000,000 for Station Square River Landing boat docks; and $500,000 for the Chester Waterfront Development Streetscape.

$54,114,907 for projects in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $7,462,500 for three projects at the Reno-Stead Airport; $4,000,000 for Reno-Sparks buses and bus facilities; $1,100,000 for intelligent transportation systems in southern Nevada; and $300,000 for Henderson Executive Airport. TRANSPORTATION (continued)

$50,960,474 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $8,000,000 for bus and bus facilities in Honolulu; $3,000,000 for the Alien Species Action Plan under the Federal Aviation Administration; and $1,000,000 for statewide intelligent transportation systems.

$32,425,000 for projects in the district of House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), including: $5,000,000 for a parking facility in Pikeville; $2,000,000 for downtown revitalization in Somerset; $2,000,000 for a parking facility in Leslie County; and $1,000,000 for a street underpass in Monticello.

$27,583,539 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), including: $12,000,000 for I-29 reconstruction; $1,250,000 for Wind Cave National Park highway resurfacing; $200,000 for a bicycle path at Elk Point; and $50,000 for a bicycle path in Tea.

$22,732,137 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and the district of House appropriator Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), including: $1,500,000 for the Blackstone River Bikeway; $1,500,000 for a transportation information center in Providence; and $1,000,000 for sidewalk reconstruction in Warren. Sen. Reed wasted no time collecting pork after the Senate switched to a Democratic majority in June, when he was added to the appropriations committee.

$18,420,000 added by the House for projects in the adjacent districts of House Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and House appropriator James Moran (D-Va.), including: $3,000,000 for Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission buses; $1,000,000 for Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants in Winchester; and $100,000 for a trail extension at Mount Vernon Circle.

$17,653,887 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including: $4,000,000 to rehabilitate the Missisquoi Bridge; $1,500,000 for the Church Street Marketplace; and $1,500,000 for a streetscape project in Winooski.

$14,700,000 added by the House in the district of House appropriator Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), including: $3,600,000 for Chatham bus and bus facilities; $1,000,000 for the Savannah Water Ferry (for a total of $2.4 million received since 1999); and $1,000,000 for Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants in Chatham.

$1,300,000 added by the Senate for ferries in the state of Senate appropriator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio): $800,000 for the Cleveland Trans-Erie Ferry Service and $500,000 for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Marina Ferry.

$1,200,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate appropriator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) for an access road to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center at Giant Springs State Park. That's $14 for each of the 88,000 visitors the Center claims it has each year - visitors could pay that amount themselves.

$1,000,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate appropriator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) for another project in honor of Lewis and Clark, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Roadway Project. The two hundredth anniversary of the expedition is still two years away.

$1,000,000 added by the House in the district of House appropriator Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) for broad-based laboratory-to-roadside research into heavy vehicle safety at the National Transportation Research Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

$500,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate Appropriations committee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) for bus and bus facilities in the ski resort, Village of Taos. What's next? Federally funded lift tickets?

$500,000 added by the Senate for redevelopment of historic Parkerson Avenue in Crowley in the state of Senate appropriator Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

$375,000 added in conference in the state of Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) for a bicycle commuting project in Austin.

$260,000 added by the House in the district of House appropriator Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) to buy two "vintage type" diesel powered, handicapped accessible trolleys for the proposed Toonerville Trolley System, which hopes to preserve the memory of the early twentieth century comic strip of the same name by Fontaine Fox.

Alhough total Treasury/Postal Service/General Government (Treasury/Postal Service) pork was down this year, the districts and states represented by appropriators still received the lion's share. Treasury/Postal Service pork decreased 65 percent from last year's all-time high of $648.4 million to $228.5 million for fiscal 2002. Still, 3 percent of Congress - 15 of the 103 appropriators - nabbed $83.6 million (37 percent) of that total for their states and districts. While the fiscal 2002 Treasury/Postal Service Appropriations Bill contained one of the smallest pork totals, it was one of the biggest examples of congressional parochialism.

$17,000,000 for two projects in the district of House Treasury/Postal Service Appropriations subcommittee member Carrie Meek (D-Fla.): $15,000,000 for the Miami courthouse project and $2,000,000 for transfer pricing research at Florida International University.

$5,900,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including $2,200,000 for a firearms training facility complex and $1,700,000 for a cafeteria at the Artesia Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Since 2000, $13.2 million has been appropriated for firearms ranges and complexes at Artesia.

$4,500,000 for two projects in the state of Senate Treasury/Postal Service Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.): $4,000,000 for repairs and alterations at the Montgomery Federal Building and Courthouse and $500,000 for statewide High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

$4,000,000 added by the Senate for academic projects in the state of Senate Treasury/Postal Service Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), including: $1,000,000 for the Native American Digital Health project and Upper Great Plains Native American Telehealth program at the University of North Dakota; $750,000 for the Center for Agriculture Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University; and $250,000 for a virtual archive system at North Dakota State University.

$3,500,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) for the National Tracing Center in Martinsburg.

$3,400,000 for the Oklahoma Centennial Commission in the state of House Treasury/Postal Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ernest Istook (R-Okla.), divided equally between the General Services Administration and the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.

$3,000,000 added by the House for the National Center for Environmental Prediction project in Prince George's County in the district adjacent to that of House Treasury/Postal Service Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Last year, the center received $500,000 for site selection. It shouldn't have cost anything to predict the center would end up near an appropriator's district.

$500,000 added by the Senate for the South Central Iowa Methamphetamine Lab Task Force in the state of Senate appropriator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

XIII. VETERANS AFFAIRS/HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT/INDEPENDENT AGENCIES (VA/HUD)

The VA/HUD Appropriations Bill exemplifies the growing chasm between the executive and legislative branches. At one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the president tries to get rid of earmarks so competitively awarded programs can serve those in need. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, appropriators disregard the agencies' desires and earmark thousands of unrequested and non-competitive projects of dubious merit. The fiscal 2003 budget singles out Community Development Block Grants as a primary example of this costly tug of war.

In fiscal 2001, Congress pigged out with a record 704 Economic Development Initiative program (EDI) earmarks. Congress showed even less restraint in fiscal 2002. EDI funded everything from a motor racing museum in South Carolina to a music conservatory in Westchester County, New York, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. Although the House requested $0 and the Senate requested $130 million, the conference committee ended up with $294 million worth of EDI grants. That includes $15 million for museums, theaters, performing arts centers, and opera houses. Out of the 801 EDI grants, 70 percent was added in conference. The remaining 30 percent was added by the Senate. Both parties are to blame for this largesse, which occurred at the expense of the less fortunate who were intended to benefit from the EDI program. The total number of VA/HUD projects increased by 19 percent from 1,200 in fiscal 2001 to 1,428 in fiscal 2002. However, total dollars decreased by 3 percent from $1.62 billion in fiscal 2001 to $1.57 billion in fiscal 2002.

$401,980,000 added by the Senate for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which includes $240,000,000 for Americorps. For the third year in a row, the House proposed eliminating funding and terminating CNCS. In the past, each "volunteer" for Americorps has cost taxpayers $27,000 annually.

$68,085,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $16,775,000 for the Institute for Software Research (which includes $14,350,000 for development and construction of research facilities); $3,000,000 to complete the renovation of the library at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown (which has received $7.2 million since 1998); $2,500,000 for the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium; $2,200,000 for the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex; $2,000,000 for the Webster County Development Authority for construction of a high technology office building and small business incubator; $1,800,000 for the City of Hinton for construction of a high technology office building and small business incubator; $900,000 for continued infrastructure development of an information technology training program at Concord College; $700,000 to repair and restore the Kimball War Memorial in McDowell County; $475,000 for the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University; and $350,000 to complete work on a health and wellness center at Bethany College.

$40,665,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.) and House appropriator Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), including: $2,500,000 for the Grand Avenue Redevelopment Project in Kansas City; $1,500,000 for the University of Missouri's Center for Gender Physiology in the area of gender-related issues in space flight crews; $1,250,000 for construction of a multipurpose community center in St. Louis; $1,000,000 for a City Market renovation project in Kansas City; $500,000 for city square renovation and downtown revitalization in West Plains; $450,000 for the Rolla Chamber of Commerce for a downtown revitalization project; $250,000 for the Missouri Forest Heritage Center in Shannon County for the construction of a forest resource management center; $250,000 for planning and renovation of the Agenstein Science and Math Building at Missouri Western State College; $250,000 for expansion of the Andrew County Museum and Historical Society museum; and $240,000 for the Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield for the continued development and construction of a Learning Resource Center.

$38,295,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and House appropriators Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), Robert Aderholdt (R-Ala.), and Robert Cramer (D-Ala.), including: $2,925,000 for the Sci-Quest Hands-on Science Center; $1,000,000 for construction of the Regional Library Resource Center at Spring Hill College in Mobile; $750,000 for the University of South Alabama Center for Estuarine Research; $500,000 each for construction of a call center facility in Hamilton and Winfield; $500,000 for the USS Alabama Battleship Commission for a restoration initiative (see page 29); $500,000 for construction of Federal Hall and Liberty Square expansion at American Village in Montevallo; $400,000 for renovation of the Historic Green County Courthouse; $300,000 for the second phase of the Covington County Farm Center; $300,000 for improvements to a recreational pier and facilities at McNally Park in Mobile; $250,000 for downtown revitalization of Eufala; $250,000 to establish a wellness center at Oakwood College; $200,000 for recreational park construction in Jasper; $150,000 for building renovation for the Mobile Opera/Symphony Collaboration; $115,000 for renovation of the Birmingham Trades Towers; $85,000 to renovate facilities at the Whole Backstage Marshall County Theater Group in Marshall County; $80,000 for sewer and water infrastructure expansion to the city boat dock in Leesburg; and $50,000 for the Huntsville Housing Authority to continue a music education program.

$24,480,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $3,000,000 for Girdwood water extension; $3,000,000 for the final phase of dormitory construction at the Challenger Learning Center in Kenai; $2,250,000 to provide winter recreation opportunities for military and civilian persons at the North Star Borough Birch Hill recreation area; $1,500,000 for Alaska Pacific University to restore historic property in Anchorage; $1,500,000 for expansion of the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage; $900,000 for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements for the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park in Sitka; and $500,000 for continued research on watershed issues at the Kenai River Center.

$24,400,000 for projects in the district of House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman James Walsh (R-N.Y.), including: $10,000,000 for continued clean water improvements for Onondaga Lake; $5,000,000 for Home Headquarters in Syracuse for a Home Equity Assistance Pilot Program and other neighborhood initiative projects; $750,000 for the city of Syracuse for the design, development and construction of an International Tourism Center at the Carousel Center; $500,000 for the Syracuse Research Corporation for the development of a Probability Risk Assessment Center; $400,000 for the City of Syracuse for renovations to the Sibley Building; $250,000 for infrastructure improvements to the Tiughioga Riverfront Development Project in Cortland; $200,000 for building renovations to the Onondaga Historical Association in Syracuse; $190,000 for equipment and infrastructure improvements for Wetstone Technologies in Cortland County; and $100,000 for the Genesee Street Armory study in Syracuse.

$22,670,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $3,000,000 for wastewater improvements in Ocean Springs; $2,000,000 for the University of Mississippi Geoinformatics Center; $1,000,000 for the County Community Center in Jackson County; $500,000 for main street renovation in Madison; $200,000 to renovate the historic elementary school auditorium in Carthage; $150,000 for Mississippi State University in consultation with the Mississippi Mainstreet Association to promote small town revitalization by utilizing the resources of the Small Town Center; and $50,000 for the linking of cultural and entertainment districts through the extension of Oakley Street in Jackson.

$21,100,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), including: $10,000,000 for the Homestake Mine in preparation for the potential development of a major research facility; $1,750,000 for the planning, design, and construction of the Wapika Sica Reconciliation Place; $400,000 for renovations to the historic Brookings Middle School; $300,000 for infrastructure related to Flandreau industrial park development; $300,000 for the Black Hills Community Development Corporation of Lead for economic development efforts related to the closure of the Homestake Mine; $300,000 for renovations to the historic Farley Lostcher Building in Sioux Falls; $150,000 for a community library in Tea; and $150,000 for economic development activities in Wagner.

$18,615,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.) and House appropriator James Clyburn (D-S.C.), including: $5,000,000 for infrastructure improvements at the School of Science and Mathematics at the College of Charleston; $2,000,000 for the West Georgetown regional wastewater treatment system; $825,000 for costs associated with the construction and equipping of the Marion Wright Edelman Library in Bennetsville; $500,000 for rehabilitation of historic Middleton-Pinckney House in Charleston; $490,000 for a Pavilion Area Master Plan in Myrtle Beach; $190,000 for the Motor Racing Museum of the South in Spartanburg; and $150,000 for the City of Marion for renovations of the Joyner Auditorium and adjoining space into a cultural arts center.

$16,440,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $3,500,000 for an International Earth Observing System and Natural Resource Training and Data Center at the University of Montana; $3,000,000 for the Center on Life in Extreme Environments at Montana State University; $1,000,000 for Missouri riverfront park enhancements in Great Falls; and $1,000,000 for development of a technology incubator at the Tech Ranch in Bozeman.

$15,560,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), including: $2,000,000 for photonics research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; $750,000 for the development of the Patterson Center for the Arts, Fells Point Creative Alliance of Baltimore; $500,000 for the Stewart Homes digital divide initiative in Montgomery County; $500,000 for a new community behavioral center at the Kennedy Kreiger Institute of Baltimore; $500,000 for streetscaping revitalization in Wheaton; $300,000 for the Ruth Enlow Library System in Garrett County; $250,000 for the St. Mary's Public School Technology Center; and $150,000 for economic development efforts of the Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences, Rural Development Center, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.

$13,135,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), including: $2,400,000 for drinking water facility construction in Mason; $1,000,000 for development of an American River Museum in Dubuque; $500,000 for the Katelman neighborhood redevelopment project in Council Bluffs; and $500,000 to the State of Iowa for the Main Street Program.

$11,150,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $3,800,000 for the North and South Valley of Albuquerque and the County of Bernalillo for a regional and wastewater project; $1,000,000 for infrastructure improvements and to build a multipurpose event center at the Southern New Mexico Fair and Rodeo in Dona Ana County; $450,000 for infrastructure improvements to the Curry County Fairgrounds; and $300,000 for construction of the South Valley Economic Development Center in Albuquerque.

$10,650,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD appropriations subcommittee member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), including: $3,000,000 for construction of a life sciences facility at Brown University; $1,000,000 for relocation and expansion for Traveler's Aid in Providence; $450,000 for building modernization of the Providence Performing Arts Center; $450,000 for the development of a Botanical Center at the Roger Williams Park and Zoo; $200,000 for historical renovation of the Newport Art Museum; $150,000 to complete construction of the Pell-Chafee Performance Center in Providence; and $50,000 for inner-city recreational facilities in Providence.

$10,300,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $4,000,000 for infrastructure needs at the Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center at the University of Hawaii, Hilo; $1,000,000 for the NASA/Bishop Museum partnership in Honolulu; $750,000 to establish three new Boys and Girls Clubs; $500,000 each for reconstruction and expansion of the Kaliki YMCA in Honolulu and a multipurpose community center at the YMCA in Kuaui; $400,000 for the County of Hawaii and the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board; $300,000 for the Heritage Trails Project; and $200,000 for the restoration of the Iao Theater in Wailuku.

$10,150,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $2,900,000 for the Three Rivers Wet Weather Demonstration Program in the greater Pittsburgh area; $1,500,000 to develop a national model for using NASA data and technologies in K-12 and higher education at Muhlenberg College; $900,000 for development of an entertainment/retail complex in Lancaster; $250,000 for the revitalization of the Chester waterfront; $100,000 for an educational and cultural complex at Discovery Square in Erie; $100,000 for the OLYMPIA ship of Independence Seaport Museum for economic development of Penn's Landing in Philadelphia; and $50,000 for a building project to house historic military aircraft through the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association, Willow Grove.

$9,800,000 for projects in the district of House appropriator Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), including: $2,750,000 for a Space Radiation Program at Loma Linda University Hospital; $750,000 for the San Bernardino Municipal Water District; $500,000 for the continuation of water infrastructure improvements in Twentynine Palms; $200,000 for the city history museum in Highland; $200,000 for the Twentynine Palms Visitor Center; $200,000 for blight abatement in Needles; $200,000 for construction of the Hall of Paleontology at the San Bernardino County Museum; $50,000 for the youth baseball/softball field complex at Spring Valley Lake in Victorville; and $50,000 for the Barstow Wading Pool.

$9,350,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including: $2,500,000 for a Pownal wastewater treatment project; $2,000,000 for facility construction and rehabilitation of the Lake Champlain Science Center in Burlington; $350,000 for purchase of equipment for the George D. Aiken Resource Conservation and Development Council of Randolph; $300,000 for rehabilitation of the Latchis Theatre and Community Arts Center in Brattleboro; $150,000 for building repairs at the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line; and $50,000 for the Essex Junction Lions Club for design and construction of a veterans memorial in Essex Junction.

$5,500,000 for projects added in conference in the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $1,900,000 for debt repayment on water and wastewater infrastructure in Marathon; $1,000,000 for the extension of the sewer and water system in Brokaw (population 224); $500,000 for Impact 7 for a business development project in Centuria; $200,000 for Wausau Kayak/Canoe Corporation for course upgrade; and $120,000 for construction of a rail spur in Rhinelander.

$5,015,000 added in conference for projects in the district of House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $1,500,000 for improvements to the near downtown historic commercial district and to leverage the potential of not-for-profit community economic development organizations in Toledo; $750,000 for wastewater and combined sewer overflow infrastructure improvements in Luckey; and $15,000 for the Fulton County Commission for rehabilitation of a Civil War memorial.

Below is a list of suspect EDIs that Congress tried to sneak in under CAGW's pork radar:

$2,700,000 added in conference for projects in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.): $2,000,000 for the St. Petersburg Sunken Gardens improvement project; $500,000 for Pinellas Park for community hurricane evacuation infrastructure improvements; and $200,000 for the Don Vista Community Center in St. Petersburg. Instead of allowing the Sunken Gardens to be sold to a group of nudists, the city decided to purchase the six-acre lot and turn it into a public garden. Money does grow on trees.

$740,000 added in conference to complete the Lancaster National Soccer Center in the district of Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.). A spokesman for Rep. McKeon told the Los Angeles Times that the earmark will serve a "dual benefit: build character in our kids and serve as an economic magnet."

$700,000 added by the Senate for the development of a job training facility for workers in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas in the state of Senate appropriator Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The official Las Vegas website brags that the city is "a place that fosters economic prosperity," and "Las Vegas is a business-friendly city that boasts a diverse population and an attractive business climate with a remarkable tax structure. And with more than 32 million visitors lured to Las Vegas a year, it's no wonder there are plenty of business opportunities in the city." Apparently, there's plenty of pork as well.

$650,000 for projects added in conference in the district of House appropriator Jack Kingston (R-Ga.): $500,000 for the Liberty County Development Authority for continued planning and engineering studies and infrastructure development at the Coastal MegaPark and $150,000 for the Historic Savannah Foundation to revitalize housing in the historic Savannah neighborhoods.

$250,000 added by the Senate for the Culver City Theater project, Center Theater Group in the state of Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). The project has already received $2.5 million from actor Kirk Douglas and his wife Anna.

$240,000 added in conference for Daytona Beach Boardwalk Revitalization. Daytona is a popular destination for motorcycle enthusiasts, vacationers and NASCAR fans. It also appears to be a popular destination for federal tax dollars.

$150,000 added in conference for the Discovery Place Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. A report by the Charlotte Observer noted that local businesses and residents gave $10 million to the Arts and Science Council (ASC) of North Carolina, noting that "the amount raised is the largest by the ASC, a national leader in united-arts fund drives in both workplace and individual giving." ASC will give a portion of that privately-raised money to the Discovery Place Museum.

This booklet was written by David E. Williams, vice president, policy, and Kerrie N. Rezac, research associate. It was edited by Thomas A. Schatz, president.

"The surest way to bust this economy is to increase the role and the size of the federal government."
George W. Bush - Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA Oct 3, 2000.

"Gore offers an old and tired approach. He offers a new federal spending program to nearly every voting bloc. He expands entitlements, without reforms to sustain them. 285 new or expanded programs, and $2 trillion more in new spending. Spending without discipline, spending without priorities, and spending without an end. Al Gore’s massive spending would mean slower growth and higher taxes. And it could mean an end to this nation’s prosperity."
George W. Bush Source: Speech in Minneapolis, Minnesota Nov 1, 2000.

Vast Criminal Conspiracy - The Congress
"The 535 men and women who make up the House and Senate of the United States include, at best, a collection of rogues, con artists, scofflaws and bad check artists. At worst, they comprise, as Twain once observed, a distinct criminal class."

"The constituents for the big porkers are no doubt damn happy that their reps are bringing home the bacon, and will reward them accordingly come election time. So it goes."

"They do it behind closed doors on Capitol Hill"

Most Americans Are Socialists At Heart Today

The growing threat of fascism

The Socialist Party Platform of 1932	Programs Adopted by the Roosevelt Administration
A federal appropriation of $5,000,000,000 for immediate relief for those in need to supplement state and local appropriations.	Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA), May 12, 1933
A federal appropriation of $5,000,000,000 for public works and roads, reforestation, slum clearance, and decent homes for the workers by the federal government, states, and cities.	Public Works Administration (PWA), established by the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), May 17, 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps (Reforestation) Act (CCC), March 31, 1933 Home Owners Loan Corp. (HOLC), established by the Home Owners Refinancing Act, April 13, 1933 Other agencies
Legislation providing for the acquisition of land, buildings, and equipment necessary to put the unemployed to work producing food, fuel, and clothing, and for the erection of housing for their own use.	Various experimental communities were established toward these ends.
The six-hour day and the five-day work-week without a reduction in wages.	The Black bill for the establishment of a thirty-hour week was not passed by Congress.
A comprehensive and efficient system of free public employment agencies.	Each state now maintains such offices throughout its jurisdiction.
A compulsory system of unemployment compensation with adequate benefits, based upon contributions by the government and by employers.	Provided by the Social Security Act, 1936, with additional contributions by employees.
Old age pensions for men and women sixty years of age and over.	Provided by the Social Security Act, 1936, for those sixty-five years of age and over.
Health and maternity insurance.	Provided by the Social Security Act, 1936.
Improved systems of workmen's compensation and accident insurance.	Senate bill 2793, introduced May 9, 1935, by Senator Wagner, culminated in passage by Congress of the Wagner Act, a comprehensive labor-management act.
The abolition of child labor.	Statutory education requirements and minimum work age laws.
Government aid to farmers and small homeowners to protect them against mortgage foreclosure and a moratorium on sales for nonpayment of taxes by destitute farmers and unemployed workers.	Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), March 16, 1933 Farm Credit Administration (FCA), March 27, 1933 Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), 1938 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) HOLC
Adequate minimum wage laws	Established by the National Recovery Administration (NRA), created by NIRA, May 17, 1933. In 1935, the NRA was found to be unconstitutional by the untied States Supreme Court. Nonetheless, minimum wage limits still exist.

Like a dog, they gladly return to their vomit of slavery, and gladly will jump up on their masters leg for a piece of bread, and a drink of warm water.

I ask you, in all seriousness, how many Americans(your neighbors, friends, relatives, etc.)unequivocally support most, if not all of the following economic and political policies. It is more than something to ponder, it should sober ones soul, mind, spirit and body.

The Communist Manifesto Planks

THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

1. Abolition of property in land and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. (zoning laws are the first step to government property ownership)

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. (need we say anything !)

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance. (read inheritance taxes)

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. (read the accused, not the convicted - Asset forfeiture laws, DEA, IRS, ATF etc...).

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. (read Federal Reserve Bank, Fiat Paper Money and fractional reserve banking)

6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State. (read DOT, FAA, FCC etc...)

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. (read "controlled" rather than "owned", or subsidized)

8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. (read Minimum Wage and slave labor. You know like in China, our Most Favored Nation trade partner. Can you figure out why we are partnered with communists ?)

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country. (read forced relocations and forced sterilization programs, you know, like in China.)

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. (so that all children can be indoctrinated and inculcated with the government propaganda, like "majority rules", and "pay your fair share". I defy you to show me the words "fair share" anywhere in the Constitution, Bill of Rights or the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26). ANYWHERE !! The whole philosophical concept of "fair share" comes from the Communist maxim, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need ! The very concept is pure socialism.)

The people and politicians who believe in these things gladly pass more and more laws implementing these ideas are traitors to the American Constitution.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY.

Let's Take A Look At Charley Reese's(Orlando Sentinel) Breakdown of The Communist Manifesto Planks:Article Here

If old Karl Marx, the embittered inventor of communism, could return from the grave, he would no doubt be surprised to find that most of the 10 planks of his Communist Manifesto, issued in 1848 in collaboration with Frederick Engels, have been happily adopted or are at least supported by Americans. Let's look at the 10 planks:

1. "Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes." Well, we're working on this one. The federal government owns huge amounts of land and is acquiring more. Private property rights are being eroded deliberately in the name of protecting the environment.

2. "A heavy progressive or graduated income tax." Need I say more? Before Ronald Reagan's tax law changes we had exactly that and many Americans support the idea of taxing the rich more than the less-rich.

3. "Abolition of all rights of inheritance." We haven't gone all the way on that one, but heavy estate taxes are a step in that direction. Estate taxes are purely punitive because they are taxes levied on assets on which multiple taxes have already been paid many times.

4. "Confiscation of the property of emigrants and rebels." Well, our forefathers confiscated the property of those who supported the British during the Revolution, and, under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and other civil statutes, property is being confiscated right and left in the name of the war on drugs.

5. "Centralization of credit in the hands of the state . . . ." Pretty much done. See the Federal Reserve Act.

6. "Centralization of the means of communications and transport in the hands of the state." Seen a private road or bridge lately? Who licenses all radio and television? Only the First Amendment saves the print press from federal licensing, but I suspect that hate-speech laws will soon follow hate-crime laws, and that will erode that freedom.

7. "Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state . . . ." Well, the government runs many businesses and some folks would like to see it run more.

8. "Equal obligation to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture." We've escaped this one mainly, in my opinion, because of the Second Amendment (the right to own firearms) and mechanization.

9. "Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of distinction between town and country." Pretty much done, because big corporations dominate what's left of agriculture and mass communications have more or less erased cultural differences.

10. "Free education of all children in public schools. Abolition of child factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production." Done.

Again, ask yourself how many Americans today do not unequivocally support most, if not all, of the following planks of the National(Nazi) Party of Germany, adopted in Munich on February 24, 1920:

"We ask that the government undertake the obligation above all of providing citizens with adequate opportunity for employment and earning a living."

"The activities of the individual must not be allowed to clash with the interests of the community, but must take place within its confines and be for the good of all. Therefore, we demand...an end to the power of the financial interests." - Note:"We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society." - Hillary Clinton, 1993

"We demand profit sharing in big business."

"We demand a broad extension of care for the aged."

"We demand...the greatest possible consideration of small business in the purchases of the national, state, and municipal governments."

"In order to make possible every capable and industrious [citizen] the attainment of higher education and thus the achievement of a post of leadership, the government must provide an all-around enlargement of our entire system of public education...We demand the education at government expense of gifted children of poor parents..."

"The government must undertake the improvement of public health by protecting mother and child, by prohibiting child labor...by the greatest possible support for all clubs concerned with the physical education of youth."

"We combat the...materialistic spirit within and without us, and are convinced that a permanent recovery of our people can only proceed from within on the foundation of The Common Good Before The Individual Good."

Additional Note:

"Contrary to the Marxists, the Nazis did not advocate public ownership of the means of production. They did demand that the government oversee and run the nation's economy. The issue of legal ownership, they explained, is secondary: what counts is the issue of control. Private citizens, therefore, may continue to hold titles to property-so long as the state reserves to itself the unqualified right to regulate the use of their property." - Ominous Parallels, Leonard Peikoff

Shadow Government of The United States and the Decline of America

"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world."
Daniel Webster, 1851

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