(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released its preliminary analysis of the House version of the fiscal year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.  There are 272 projects costing taxpayers $156 million.  This represents a 10.1 increase in projects and a 15.6 increase in spending from fiscal year 2009.

As usual, appropriators loaded the bill with pork.  House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) requested seven projects worth $7,193,000, while Ranking Member Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) requested five projects totaling $2,750,000.  Here are some outrageous examples of wasteful spending that members of the House added to the bill:

• $500,000 by House appropriator C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) for the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in Maryland.  According to a press release on Rep. Sarbanes’ website, “the trail commemorates some of the most important events of the War of 1812 including the battle at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem.”  Eliminating the deficit would be much more patriotic.
• $500,000 by House appropriator Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Reps. Ron Klein (D-Fla.), Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.), Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), and John Mica (R-Fla.) for the Florida National Scenic Trail.  The trail runs from Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola to Big Cypress National Preserve west of Miami.  The funds will be used to acquire approximately 267 miles of gaps in the trail, according to Rep. Wexler’s website.
• $150,000 by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) for the restoration of Cotrill’s Opera House in Thomas.  The fat lady is singing and it is for the end of fiscal sanity.
• $150,000 by House appropriator Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) to help restore Tarrytown Music Hall.  In the past, Tarrytown has received $20,000 from the Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson, as well as other contributions ranging from $1,000 to $40,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Rotary Club of Tarrytown, and several individuals, all for a new air conditioning system.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.