As Democrats and Republicans hunker down in their respective bunkers to prepare for the impending tax cut battle, rest assured there is one war in Washington in which the lines are not drawn across party lines.  In the bout for bacon, the only loyalty is to spending our tax dollars.

            Leading this feeding frenzy at the trough are Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and the number two Democrat on the committee, Senate Appropriations committee member Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), whose states ranked first and second, respectively, in per capita pork for FY 2001.  Sen. Stevens secured $480.3 million for Alaska ($766 per person) and Sen. Inouye secured $474.6 million for Hawaii ($392 per person) in the FY 2001 march to the pork barrel.  Per capita pork for Alaska was 30 times the national average, while Hawaii raked in 15 times the per capita national average of $25.52.

Sen. Stevens and Sen. Inouye are no strangers to coming in first in the pork barrel derby.  Alaska ranked first and Hawaii ranked second in per capita pork in FY 2000 as well.

The booty Sen. Stevens brought home from the FY 2001 battle included:  $2,500,000 for a pilot training simulator at the University of Alaska; $1,250,000 for Aleutian Pribilof church repairs; $750,000 for the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center; and $400,000 for a parking lot and pedestrian safety access in Talkeetna (population 300).

Sen. Inouye’s spoils included:  $4,500,000 for the construction of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory facility at Hilo; $2,500,000 for marijuana eradication; and $742,000 for the Native Hawaiian culture and arts program.

Both Sen. Stevens and Sen. Inouye are seasoned porkers, four star generals in the bout for bacon.  For expecting the federal taxpayers to pay for local whims, for their constant fiscal irresponsibility, for fighting on the wrong side of this war, we give Sen. Stevens and Sen. Inouye the dishonor of being CAGW’s March Porkers of the Month.