Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) January 2008 Porker of the Month for earmarking funds for a public restroom and gas station.

Rep. Hobson added a $300,000 Economic Development Initiative (EDI) grant for the Springfield Arts Council for “construction of Phase III of the west plaza comfort station” in the Fiscal 2008 Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies portion of the omnibus appropriations bill.  EDI grants were originally intended to be competitively awarded to projects in low and moderate-income communities, but the program has evolved into a notorious pork warehouse. 

A 2006 Hobson press release extolled the amenities associated with the $300,000 earmark, explaining that it would “include handicap accessible public restrooms, and a hospitality terrace where the Springfield Arts Council conducts public events.”  No earmarks were passed for EDI projects in fiscal 2007, but Rep. Hobson tried again for fiscal 2008, asking for $100,000 from House appropriators.  Somehow, this number increased to $300,000 in the final omnibus bill. 

Rep. Hobson is ranking member of the House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee.  His place on the powerful Appropriations Committee allowed him to rack up 37 projects worth $35.8 million in the 2008 appropriations bills.

A prior Hobson earmark of great notoriety recently came to fruition.  Rep. Hobson had made it his personal mission to fund a gas station ever since he almost ran out of gas in Wilberforce, Ohio, more than 20 years ago.  In 2001, he earmarked an $800,000 EDI grant to the Tawawa Community Development Corporation in Wilberforce for the project.  Speedway SuperAmerica and county commissioners chipped in $900,000, but it wasn’t until December 27, 2007 that the Tawawa/Dave Hobson Plaza opened for business.  A pizza place or takeout restaurant is expected to move in soon. 

According to the Xenia Daily Gazette, Rep. Hobson movingly declared, “Sometimes you read in the newspaper people saying that earmarks are bad.  But I’m probably more proud of this earmark and what it will do in the future than anything I’ve ever done.”  That grandiloquent statement speaks volumes not only about Rep. Hobson’s visionary “work” in the House since 1990, but also about the overall degeneration of the quality of service members of Congress now aspire to on behalf of the citizens of this country.  The mad scramble for pork has eclipsed any motivation to address national priorities.   

Rep. Hobson had previously been awarded Porker of the Month in November 2003, along with Sens. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) for threatening to oppose the Medicare prescription drug bill, if it required competitive bidding for durable medical equipment like canes and walkers.

For flushing taxpayer dollars down the “comfort station” and his self-indulgent earmark, CAGW names Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) its January 2008 Porker of the Month.

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.