Introduction

During election years, politicians make speeches about how concerned they are with wasteful spending, the deficit, and the fiscal woes of the nation. But as soon as the television cameras are turned off, they brag about the pork that they are bringing home to their state or district. This hypocrisy has helped to create a $521 billion deficit and a $7.1 trillion national debt.

While $200,000 for recreation improvements in North Pole, Alaska or $100,000 to renovate a Coca-Cola building in Macon, Georgia may seem insignificant in the grand fiscal scheme of the country, such projects represent a corruption of the budget process. Too many members of Congress are more concerned about bringing home the bacon for their re-election than they are about the fiscal future of this country. To make the American people more aware of the connection between pork and the deficit, each earmark should bear a sticker on it that reads, “This project helped contribute to the $521 billion deficit.” Maybe then Members of Congress wouldn’t be so proud of their pork and taxpayers would demand greater accountability on Capitol Hill.

This year’s total reveals that Congress porked out at record levels. For fiscal 2004, appropriators stuck 10,656 projects in the 13 appropriations bills, an increase of 13 percent over last year’s total of 9,362. In the last two years, the total number of projects has increased 28 percent. The cost of these projects in fiscal 2004 was $22.9 billion, or 1.6 percent more than last year’s total of $22.5 billion. In fact, the total cost of pork has increased by 14 percent since fiscal 2002. Total pork identified by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) since 1991 adds up to $185 billion.

The top three increases in pork from fiscal 2003 to fiscal 2004 were: Foreign Operations from $181.4 million to $449 million (148 percent); Transportation/Treasury from $3.3 billion to $4.4 billion (33 percent); and Interior from $344 million $446 million (29 percent).

Alaska again led the nation with $808 per capita ($524 million), or 26 times the national pork average of $31. The runners up were Hawaii with $393 per capita ($494 million) and the District of Columbia with $321 per capita ($181 million). The common thread in the top two states is that they are represented by powerful senators and appropriators — Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), and the number two Democrat on that committee, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii).

Unless Congress enacts serious and meaningful budget reform, there could be another record level of pork in fiscal 2005. Tax dollars should be focused on protecting the nation, instead of being used to protect the incumbency of members of Congress.

The 630 projects, totaling $3.1 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:

• Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
• Not specifically authorized;
• Not competitively awarded;
• Not requested by the President;
• Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
• Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
• Serves only a local or special interest.

I. Agriculture

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 fiscal 2004, appropriators provided $111 million for CSREES projects, or 3,164 percent more than the budget request of $3 million, and earmarked all of the funding. Total agriculture pork in fiscal 2004 was $365 million, or 23 percent less than the fiscal 2003 total of $478 million. The number of projects decreased 8 percent, from 559 to 512.

$19,569,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $4,860,000 for the Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center in Stoneville; $1,400,000 for the Delta Conservation Demonstration Center; $900,000 for cattle and nutrient management in stream crossings; $885,000 for advanced spatial technologies; $524,000 for aquaculture; and $134,000 for an extension specialist.

$14,534,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $3,690,000 for the Nutrient Management Laboratory in Marshfield; $2,000,000 for the Global Environment Management Education Center at Stevens Point; $900,000 for a cooperative agreement with the Sand County Foundation; $788,000 for urban horticulture; $540,000 for the Babcock Institute; $270,000 for potato storage research at the Agriculture Research Service Laboratory in Madison; $225,000 for grazing research; and $108,000 for the Conservation Land Internship Program.

$9,929,000 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: $1,800,000 for the Iowa Biotechnology Consortium; $1,200,000 for Hungry Canyon/Loess Hills erosion control in western Iowa ; $630,000 for the Midwest Poultry Consortium; $405,000 for agriculture-based industrial lubricants; $293,000 for hoop barns; $270,000 for livestock waste; $252,000 for the Iowa Vitality Center; $120,000 for the Tipton Creek Watershed Project; $100,000 for the Trees Forever Program; and $18,000 for agriculture law at Drake University in Des Moines.

$7,227,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.), including: $4,337,000 for the establishment of a Geographic Information Center for Excellence in cooperation with West Virginia University; $675,000 for aquaculture product and marketing development; $621,000 for agriculture waste utilization; and $160,000 for poultry litter composting.

$7,701,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $1,073,000 for seafood harvesting, processing, and marketing; $630,000 for rural development; $568,000 for alternative salmon products; $360,000 for seed research; $315,000 for food quality; $200,000 for staff positions in Palmer; $180,000 for seafood waste in collaboration between the Agriculture Research Service and the University of Alaska; $180,000 for berry research; and $135,000 for salmon quality standards.

$6,072,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Bennett (R-Utah), including: $1,100,000 for the Dry Creek and Neff’s Creek Project; $900,000 each for air quality research in Logan and at Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory; $797,000 for botanical research; $675,000 for drought management; $300,000 for the Utah CAFO/AFO Pilot Project; $270,000 for the Forage and Range Research Laboratory in Logan; and $225,000 for pasture and forage research.

$3,850,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including: $2,800,000 for technical assistance for the Kentucky Soil Erosion and Soil Survey Program; $450,000 for a waste management research project in collaboration with Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green; and $400,000 for a cooperative agreement with Western Kentucky University.

$6,106,000 for wood utilization research (Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Mich., Minn., Miss., N.C., Ore., Tenn., Wash., and W. Va.). Since 1985, $79 million has been sapped from the taxpayers for this research.

$4,860,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee member Sam Farr (D-Calif.): $4,500,000 for the U.S. Agriculture Research Station and $360,000 for verticillium wilt.

$3,768,000 for shrimp aquaculture research (Ariz., Hawaii, La., Mass., Miss., S.C., and Texas). Since 1985, $61 million has been appropriated for this research, which has become a staple of the appropriators’ diet.

$1,609,000 for the viticulture consortium (Calif., N.Y., and Pa.). Taxpayers will have sour grapes over this project.

$1,460,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Harry Reid (D-Nev.): $540,000 for the improved nutrient management and protection of water resources; $470,000 for the Nevada Arid Rangelands Initiative; and $450,000 to establish a plant materials center in the vicinity of Fallon.

$570,000 for conservation related to cranberry production (Mass., Wisc.).

$270,000 for wool research (Mont., Texas, and Wy.). This project truly is fleecing the taxpayers.

$238,000 added by the Senate for the National Wild Turkey (NWTF) Federation in Edgefield, S.C. According the group’s website, “The NWTF is a half million member grassroots, nonprofit organization with members in 50 states, Canada and 11 other foreign countries.” With 500,000 members, this organization could raise $225,000 with just another $2.22 per member. Instead, our tax dollars are going to the birds.

$220,000 added by the House for the Grassland Soil and Research Laboratory in the district of House appropriator Chet Edwards (D-Texas).

$200,000 added by the House for the Weed It Now Program in the Taconic Mountains (Ct., Mass., and N.Y.). Unfortunately, appropriators did not weed out the bill’s egregious earmarks.

II. Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary

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 three departments to fund pet projects. Compared with fiscal 2003, pork increased less than 1 percent from $1.376 billion to $1.379 billion, along with a 1 percent decrease in earmarks from 903 to 896.

$47,740,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Ernest “Fritz” Hollings (D-S.C.), including: $16,750,000 for the Bonneau Ferry; $2,000,000 for cooperative research; $1,150,000 for the Charleston Bump; $1,100,000 for security enhancements programs for the South Carolina Palmetto Expo Center; $1,000,000 for the Stellar Sea Lions recovery plan, winter food limitation research; $1,000,000 for South Carolina oyster recovery; and $500,000 for the South Carolina Taxonomic Center.

$45,097,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $8,500,000 for Phase I of the Barrow Arctic Research Center; $4,000,000 for the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory; $2,500,000 for the Land Mobile Radio Project; $2,500,000 for the Gulf of Alaska; $1,500,000 for Alaska current and tide data; $1,340,000 for Chinook salmon; $1,100,000 for an alcohol interdiction program designed to investigate and prosecute bootlegging; $1,000,000 for harbor seals; $500,000 for marine debris removal; $500,000 for the Prince William Sound Science Center; $497,000 for Upper Cook Inlet tidal research; $400,000 for the Harbor Seals Commission; and $250,000 for Partners for Downtown Progress.

$37,415,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), including: $6,000,000 for the Great Bay Partnership; $3,000,000 for the J-One information system; $1,000,000 for the Mount Washington Observatory; $590,000 for milfoil; $500,000 for the New England Weather Technology Initiative; and $500,000 to establish the Belknap Regional Special Operations Program.

$19,200,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and the district of House appropriator Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), including: $6,000,000 for the Glatfelder properties on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay; $2,500,000 for the Alliance for Coastal Technologies; and $300,000 for the Prince George’s County Neighborhood Watch Program.

$17,160,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $3,000,000 for coastal lands; $2,000,000 for the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii; $1,987,000 for the Pacific Services Center; $500,000 for the Bay Watershed and Education Program (B-Wet); $500,000 for Hawaiian community development; $500,000 for the Oceanic Institute for the Hawaii Stock Management Plan; and $250,000 for the Marine Invasive Species Program.

$17,000,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $3,000,000 for the Center for Marine Education and Research; $2,500,000 for the Aquatic Research Consortium; $2,000,000 for the Mississippi Coastal Preserve System; and $1,000,000 for the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

$9,450,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and the districts of House appropriators George R. Nethercutt, Jr. (R-Wash.) and Norman Dicks (D-Wash.), including: $2,000,000 each for Bainbridge Island and Maury Island; $750,000 for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for palm-imaging technology; and $100,000 for the Seattle Precinct Liaison Program.

$9,050,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including: $2,500,000 for the Center for Integrated Marine Technologies at the University of Southern California; $2,000,000 for the Tools for Tolerance Program; $900,000 for the California Oceanic Cooperative Fisheries Investigation; and $300,000 for the Los Angeles CLEAR program.

$8,839,000 added 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: $2,989,000 for geodesy; $900,000 for the Wisconsin Safe and Sound Program based in Milwaukee; $750,000 for Saxine Creek and the Bibbon Swamp; and $300,000 for Milwaukee Summer Stars.

$5,100,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including: $3,000,000 for the Louisville Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory; $1,000,000 for the University of Kentucky’s Law School Electronic Access Project; and $1,000,000 for Western Kentucky University’s Spotlight Youth Program.

$3,500,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.); including: $1,000,000 for the strategic medical initiative partnership at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; $1,000,000 for Allentown to develop computer mapping and weekly accountability sessions; and $500,000 for the Pittsburgh Police Department for the Police Bureau’s Virtual Perimeter Video Surveillance System.

$3,100,000 for projects in the state of Senate Commerce Appropriations subcommittee member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including $500,000 for planning, design, and equipment for the State of Vermont Forensic Laboratory and $200,000 for the Rutland Area Prevention Coalition.

$4,000,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $1,500,000 for the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada, Reno; $200,000 for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for the Boyd School of Law; and $100,000 for the Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

$2,900,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and the district of House appropriator Tom Latham (R-Iowa), including $900,000 for the Iowa Jail Drug Treatment Pilot Program and $350,000 for Iowa State University for specialized criminal justice research.

$2,100,000 for projects in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.), including $700,000 for the Largo Police Department for laptop computers for patrol cars and $250,000 for the Pinellas County Police Athletic League.

$2,000,000 added by the Senate for the First Tee Program in St. Augustine, Fla., one of two fiscal 2004 appropriations for this program. According to the group’s website, “First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation. The focus is to give young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship.” In fiscal 2003, the program received $500,000.

$2,000,000 added for Seniors vs. Marketing Scams. It appears as though seniors are not the only ones being taken for a ride.

$100,000 added in conference for the Institute of International Sport to prevent youth crime. This organization was founded in part “to promote ethical behavior and good sportsmanship on an international basis.” That ought to stop terrorism.

III. Defense

Defending the United States is a top priority of the federal government. However, earmarking funds to satiate constituents is not in the national interest. Wasting money on pork drains the resources necessary to fight the war on terrorism and makes it more difficult to protect the country. Total pork increased 4.8 percent over fiscal 2003 from $11.1 billion to $11.5 billion. Projects increased 21 percent from 1,711 to 2,077.

$371,330,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $248,000,000 for an additional fueling overhaul of the USS Portsmouth at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard; $23,000,000 for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network; $18,430,000 for payment to the Kaho’olawe Island Conveyance, Remediation, and Environmental Restoration Fund; $2,600,000 for the Hickman Air Force Base Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program; and $2,100,000 for a Hawaii undersea vehicle testing and training environment.

$129,200,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $33,300,000 for Fort Wainwright; $33,100,000 for Allen Army Airfield upgrades; $9,000,000 for Eielson Air Force Base utilidor repairs; and $5,000,000 for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). 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. Not surprisingly, HAARP is also heating up the ire of many taxpayers. Web surfers can check out www.haarp.alaska.edu to see how their tax dollars are being spent. Since 1995, CAGW has identified $95.4 million appropriated for HAARP.

$79,900,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Durbin (R-Ill.), House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and House appropriators Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), including: $37,000,000 for litening advanced targeting pods; $4,500,000 for graders, winches, and rippers SLEP; $3,850,000 for Rock Island Arsenal projects ($2,450,000 million for bridge repairs and $1,400,000 million for the AIT Initiative); $1,200,000 for dental research; and $1,000,000 for the Charles Melvin Price Support Center.

$14,000,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.): $10,500,000 for the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and $3,500,000 for the Holloman High Speed Test Track upgrade.

$13,600,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.): $3,800,000 for Adobe Road in Twentynine Palms; $3,400,000 for Norton Air Force Base; $3,400,000 for George Air Force Base; and $3,000,000 for enhanced urbanized training and support JNTC initiatives at Fort Irwin.

$3,400,000 added by the House for rural access to broadband technology.

$1,000,000 added by the House for the Young Patriots Program. According to the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, this money will help to “expand the Young Patriots Program to include a video which promotes the significance of National Patriotic Holidays.”

$1,000,000 added by the Senate for Shakespeare in American Military Communities. According to the Austin American-Statesman, it is “part of the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare in American Communities project to bring its work to unusual places. Ostensibly, this will get the troops’ minds off war, fighting, and killing.” Among the plays expected to be performed are Macbeth and Othello. Out, out damn pork! Alas, poor surplus, I knew him well.

$1,000,000 added by the Senate for the Western Governor’s University in the state of Senate appropriator Robert Bennett (R-Utah). According to its website, “Western Governors University is the leading U.S. university that grants degrees based completely on competencies — your ability to demonstrate skills and knowledge on a series of assessments carefully designed to measure your knowledge of a field of study. The programs are not based upon required courses. A competency-based online program makes it possible for you to accelerate your degree.” No mention of any defense-related courses.

$150,000 added by the House for the Military Sexual Integrity Program.

IV. District of Columbia

In the past, the District of Columbia (D.C.) Appropriations Bill has been relatively clean of earmarks. Last year was an exception when D.C. appropriators hogged out with $87 million in pork. This year, appropriators added $31 million in pork, a decrease of 64 percent. With 23,000 homes in D.C. that may be contaminated with lead and the infrastructure of the city’s schools in shambles, this $31 million could go a long way to address those needs.

$2,000,000 for St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Inc.

$1,500,000 for the Old Naval Hospital Foundation project for the creation of a community center on Capitol Hill.

$1,125,000 for the Shakespeare Theater ($1 million for the construction of a new downtown facility to provide affordable access to the arts and $125,000 for educational outreach programs).

$1,000,000 for Barracks Row Main Street, Inc. for the construction of two gateways.

$750,000 for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

$750,000 for the Historical Society of Washington for the City Museum to develop educational programming and materials for D.C. school children.

$500,000 for the Discovery Creek Children’s Museum.

$500,000 for the Washington Opera for the Education and Community Program.

$200,000 for Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena for capital improvements. Taxpayers are truly getting the cold shoulder.

V. Energy and Water

This year Energy and Water appropriators were very interested in requesting a deluge of special interest projects, such as indoor rainforests. The result was a fiscal 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that was filled to the brim with pork. The number of pork projects increased by 27 percent, from 487 in fiscal 2003 to 617 in fiscal 2004. While the projects increased, the total dollar amount decreased 58 percent, from $1.7 billion in fiscal 2003 to $714 million in fiscal 2004.

$50,000,000 added in conference for an indoor rainforest project in Coralville, Iowa by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). The project, which originally was included in the Energy Policy Act of 2003 bill that failed to pass in December, 2003, became so indispensable that Sen. Grassley added it to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill in late January 2004. When completed, Iowa will have the world’s largest enclosed rainforest, spanning five acres. A local businessman, Ted Townsend (heir to the Townsend meat-packing fortune), came up with this idea while contemplating his legacy on a treadmill. Since then, Townsend has worked to see that taxpayers will pay dearly for his dream to be realized. The project, which is estimated to cost $225 million, includes a generous $5 million from Townsend. This tropical boondoggle has some big name supporters, such as former Iowa Governor Bob Ray (R), who is the chairman of the institute Townsend founded to oversee the production of the rainforest. Ray imagines that it will solve the state’s “demographic problems” by drawing more people to move to Iowa. Ray also believes that mass quantities of retiring baby boomers will “crisscross the country” to visit the indoor rainforest. Senator Grassley claims that it will somehow help the University of Iowa. Ultimately, this project will do nothing for Iowa’s population, energy industry, or the environment, but it will soak the taxpayers.

$16,004,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $4,000,000 for the Dillingham Emergency Bank; $1,000,000 for Sand Point; $300,000 for the McGrath Bank Stabilization Project; $300,000 for a regional port study; $200,000 for the Knik Bridge Crossing; and $100,000 for Skagway.

$15,025,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.): $12,000,000 for the Backwater Pump; $2,000,000 for Gulfport Harbor; $1,000,000 for the Wolf and Jordan Rivers; and $25,000 for Main Stem.

$11,995,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $5,000,000 for central New Mexico; $2,000,000 for a medical building at the University of New Mexico; $480,000 for the Rio Grande and tributaries in the Espanola Valley; $175,000 for the Eastern New Mexico water supply; and $130,000 for East Mesa in Las Crusas.

$7,650,000 added by the House for the Calumet region in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.).

$5,825,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), including: $3,000,000 for the North Padre Island Pachery Channel; $1,800,000 for the Texas City Ship Channel; and $400,000 for the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.

$4,000,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $2,000,000 for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Research Foundation ($1,000,000 each to conduct safety and risk analyses, and to assess earthquake hazards and seismic risk) and $2,000,000 for the University of the Nevada, Reno ($1,000,000 each to conduct nuclear waste repository research and to expand the earthquake engineering and simulation facility).

$2,500,000 added for Pinellas County in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.). The bill fails to specify the purpose of this money.

$2,500,000 added by the Senate for the Greenbriar River in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.).

$1,750,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including $200,000 for Desert Hot Springs and $100,000 for Middle Creek.

$1,500,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.): $1,000,000 for Shoalwater Bay shoreline erosion; $400,000 for the Elliot Bay Seawall in Seattle; and $100,000 for the Stillaguamish River Basin.

$1,225,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $750,000 for Hawaii water management; $200,000 for the Wailupe Stream flood control study; and $175,000 for Iao Stream flood control.

$1,050,000 for projects in the district of House appropriator Anne Northup (R-Ky.): $750,000 for the Louisville Waterfront Park for Phase 2 and 3 and $300,000 for the University of Louisville Ethanol Production for a biomass large-scale facility design project.

$1,000,000 for the University of Alabama-Huntsville Climate Action Project in the district of House Appropriator Robert Cramer (D-Ala.).

$1,000,000 added by the House for Waco Lake in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee member Chet Edwards (D-Texas).

VI. Foreign Operations

With all the trouble overseas, Foreign Operations pork should have disappeared. Instead, appropriators seemed more interested in fertilizer and the weather in other countries. Total pork in the fiscal 2004 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill increased 148 percent from fiscal 2003, from $181.4 million to $450 million, even though total earmarks decreased 33 percent, from 30 to 20.

$18,500,000 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 Johnston (a Canadian ship that once ferried famine victims across the Atlantic), a national water sports center used for coaching top-level athletes, golf videos, and exporting sweaters. Through war and peace, rain and shine, surplus and deficits, IFI receives funding, accumulating $439 million since 1986.

$15,000,000 added by the House for dairy development programs overseas under the U.S. Agency for International Development. The taxpayers are getting milked dry by this project.

$13,250,000 added in conference for U.N. programs, including $1.5 million for the U.N. Fund for Technical Cooperation in Human Rights and $2 million for the World Meteorological Foundation.

$1,700,000 for the International Fertilizer Development Center in the state of Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the district of House appropriator Robert Cramer (R-Ala.).

VII. Homeland Security

The fiscal 2004 Homeland Security Bill marks the first time that Congress has passed an appropriations bill to fund this department. Before passage, appropriators promised to pass a pork-free bill. However, they found a way to stick some bacon into the bill, which contained 18 pork projects amounting to $423 million.

$60,000,000 for the Homeland Security Fellowship Program for students and universities. These awards are intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the department’s mission. This marks an attempt by the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strong science and technology human resources base, but could become a slush fund in the future for politicians’ pet projects.

$20,000,000 added by the Senate for the Nebraska Avenue Headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security (as opposed to the $30,000,000 that the Department requested). The House did not provide funding for this project, expressing multiple reservations about this request. For example, there were a number of alternatives that had yet to be considered or were then being reviewed. Therefore, giving the agency money for this project was deemed premature. “The Committee is also concerned that the Department may be proceeding in advance of required authorizations.”

VIII. Interior

With soaring deficits and earmarks, there is no good news in the Interior Appropriations Bill. Total pork was $446 million, or 29 percent more than last year’s tally of $344 million. In addition, the total number of projects increased by 28 percent from 369 to 473.

$64,306,000, or 18.8 percent of the total dollars, for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $9,500,000 for Alaska Conveyance; $5,000,000 for the Tongass National Forest; $2,250,000 for the Morris Thompson Visitor and Cultural Center; $1,500,000 for the Office of Arctic Studies; $1,000,000 for marine mammal population surveys; $800,000 for the Bering Sea Fisherman’s Association; $750,000 for the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center; $500,000 for the Kake Land Exchange; $250,000 for Coffman Cove; $200,000 for the Five-Fingers Lighthouse in Juneau; $150,000 for fish passage adjacent to railroads in Alaska; and $100,000 for the Alaska Sea Otter Commission.

$24,191,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $3,000,000 for the Blackfoot River Watershed; $1,250,000 for the Western Heritage Center; $500,000 for the Story Mansion in Bozeman; and $250,000 for the Madison County Courthouse.

$17,474,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd

(D-W.Va.) and House appropriator Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $2,700,000 for the Wood Education and Resource Center; $2,691,000 for the New River Gorge National River; and $1,000,000 for the Wheeling National Heritage Area; and $100,000 for the Pendleton Courthouse.

$15,145,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell (R-Colo.), including: $7,000,000 for the Baca National Wildlife Refuge; $2,400,000 for the Beaver Brook Watershed at the Arapaho National Forest; $600,000 to design a curatorial facility for Mesa Verde National Park; and $500,000 for the Mountain Studies Institute.

$9,475,000 added for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), including: $4,300,000 for the Black Hills Mystic Lab; $1,000,000 for the Black Hills National Forest; $1,000,000 for the Dakota Tallgrass Prairie; and $375,000 for the Homesteak Opera House in Lead.

$8,050,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Robert Bennett (R-Utah), including: $3,000,000 for the Utah Public Lands Artifact Preservation Act; $2,750,000 for the Wasatch National Forest; and $300,000 for Utah forestry education.

$6,125,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest “Fritz” Hollings (D-S.C.) and the district of House appropriator James Clyburn (D-S.C.), including: $1,300,000 for Sumter National Forest; $1,000,000 for the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor; $200,000 for the Old Marion High School; $100,000 for the Morris Lighthouse; and $75,000 for the Cheraw and Darlington Railroad Depot, Society Hill.

In fiscal 2003, Congress added $15 million in noncompetitive, unauthorized earmarks through the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund. In fiscal 2004 Congress added $18 million, or 20 percent more than last year, including:

$400,000 for the Old Henderson County Courthouse in the district of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Charles Taylor (R-N.C.).

$275,000 for the Walking Box Ranch in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee member Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Originally founded in 1931 by B-movie actor Rex Bell, this ranch was visited by stars such as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Errol Flynn, Norma Shearer and Lionel Barrymore. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal in December 2000, “Las Vegas Gaming Investments paid $950,000 for the 38.5-acre ranch with historical ties to Hollywood's golden era, ending a month of negotiations between seller Viceroy Gold Corp. and several interested potential buyers.”

$275,000 for the Providence Performing Arts Center in the district of House appropriator Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.).

$200,000 for the Admiral Theater in Bremerton, Washington by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norman Dicks (D-Wash.). According to Rep. Dicks’ press release, “Since it opened in 1997, the 25,000-sq.ft. Admiral Theater has brought drama, concerts, symphonies and children’s programming to the city, and it has been used as a downtown venue by various community groups.”

IX. Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

The fiscal 2004 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Bill is a prime example of what happens when legislators pass an Omnibus Appropriations Bill in late January and stuff it full of pork, hoping that no one will notice. The Labor/HHS Bill contained 1,951 projects, a 8 percent increase over last year’s 1,805 projects. The projects cost $943 million, 16 percent less than the $1.1 billion in 2003. In addition, 100 percent of the 1,951 earmarks lacked a budget request, and 99.9 percent or 1,950 earmarks were added in conference.

$91,154,000 added in conference for 401 projects, or 21 percent of total Labor/HHS pork, in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter

(R-Pa.), the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee members John Peterson (R-Pa.) and Donald Sherwood (R-Pa.), and the districts of House appropriators John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) and Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), including: $20,000,000 for the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help struggling schools; $6,800,000 for 13 hospitals for “construction, renovation, and equipment”; $2,887,000 for 32 abstinence education programs; $950,000 for 14 arts programs; $725,000 for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia to develop educational programs focusing on hands-on learning experiences; $350,000 for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Pittsburgh, with Wars on Empire, Inc., for the 250^th anniversary of the French and Indian War activities; $100,000 for the University of Pittsburgh Center for Sports Medicine to determine the prevalence of knee injuries in female athletes; $100,000 for Bradford High School to improve the metalworking program; $75,000 for East Stroudsburg University to preserve and develop exhibits for their Vintage Radio Programs and Jazz Museum; and $50,000 for the Saint Tikhon’s Theological Seminary for the care and preservation of Russian artifacts.

$59,469,000 added in conference in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula (R-Ohio), and House appropriators David Hobson (R-Ohio) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $1,700,000 for the Ohio Board of Regents in Columbus for a science education network; $1,000,000 for the YMCA of Western Stark County; $500,000 for the Musical Arts Association of Cleveland for education outreach programs; $400,000 for the Canton Symphony Orchestra for orchestra education; $100,000 for Cleveland State University in collaboration with the University of Rijeka in Croatia for the Unger Croatia Center; and $75,000 for Look up to Cleveland to encourage the development of Cleveland’s young leaders.

$47,975,000 added in conference in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and in the districts of House Labor/HHS subcommittee member Kay Granger (R-Texas) and House appropriators John Culberson (R-Texas), Henry Bonilla (R-Texas), and Chet Edwards (D-Texas), including: $20,000,000 for Project Grad-USA Inc. in Houston for continued support and expansion of the program focusing on school reform; $1,250,000 for Rice University; $500,000 for the Fort Worth Independent School District for the ISD Imagination Station Project; $400,000 for the Medical Institute for Sexual Health in Austin for the development of curricula; $50,000 for the Today Foundation in Dallas for the expansion of the Imagination Station Literacy Program to deliver reading curriculum over the Internet using animation; and $50,000 for the Houston Independent School District for the River Oaks Elementary School to set up an International Baccalaureate Program.

$36,943,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee members Randy Cunningham (R-Calif.) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), and House appropriators John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.), Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), and Sam Farr (D-Calif.), including: $750,000 for Placer County; $400,000 for the University of California, Irvine; $387,000 for the Whittier Public Library Children’s Area and History Room; $250,000 for Martha’s Village and Kitchen in Indio for operational expenses; $250,000 for Hesperia Community College; $200,000 for the Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco for the De Young’s Museum’s Art Education Program; and $100,000 for the Fender Museum of the Art Foundation in Corona for the Kids Rock Free Educational Program.

$30,386,000 added in conference in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and House appropriator Tom Latham (R-Iowa), including: $7,000,000 for the Iowa Department of Education to continue the Iowa School Demonstration Project; $1,000,000 for the continuation and expansion of the Iowa Communications Network statewide fiber-optic demonstration program; $1,000,000 for the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines for the development of exhibits; $650,000 for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque for exhibits; $500,000 for the Grout Museum for exhibits and design of the Sullivan Brothers Veterans Museum and Research Center; $400,000 for the AIB College of Business in Des Moines to continue a program of recruiting and training students in captioning and court reporting; $400,000 for the Davenport Music History Museum; and $100,000 for National History Day for a history competition in Iowa.

$30,460,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and the district of House appropriator Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $11,500,000 for Marshall University; $4,300,000 for the University of Charleston for a School of Pharmacy facility; $4,000,000 for the Raleigh County Commission to complete the Educational Mall facility in Beckley; $3,600,000 for Wheeling Jesuit University for the Math and Science Education Initiative; $175,000 for the Mountaineer Community Health and Senior Center in Berkeley Springs; $129,000 for the Appalachian Pain Foundation in Charleston for equipment and curriculum development; $75,000 for the Hary County Committee on Aging in Moorfield for wellness programs; $67,000 for the YMCA in Elkins; and $25,000 for Putnam County commissioners in Winfield for technology for the public library system.

$30,400,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $4,000,000 for the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. for construction of health care facilities for native Alaskans in Anchorage; $150,000 for the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks for educational programs in support of the Summer Arts Festival; $100,000 for the Alaska Hospitality Alliance in Anchorage for a vocational training program; $50,000 for the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association in Anchorage to digitize files, photos, and videos of Alaska history; and $50,000 for the Imaginarium Science Center in Anchorage to develop science exhibits and distance delivery modules.

$29,250,000 added in conference 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: $1,810,000 for the University of Mississippi in Oxford for planning and construction; $1,000,000 for the Mississippi Department of Education to provide free fruits and vegetables to school children; $1,000,000 for Delta State University in Cleveland for the Delta Education Initiative; $500,000 for Mississippi State University for robotics and automated systems for the nursery industry; $450,000 for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson to complete the preservation and restoration of the Eudora Welty House; and $100,000 for the Mississippi Broadcasting Networks in Jackson for a public radio broadcast of student writing through the Rural Voices Initiative.

$27,606,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the districts of House Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Anne Northup (R-Ky.) and House appropriator Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), including: $6,100,000 for the University of Louisville’s Science and Technology Research Center for construction and equipment; $1,000,000 for the University of Kentucky’s Center for Technology and Learning in Lexington; $750,000 for Southeast Community College in Cumberland; $400,000 for the Speed Art Museum in Louisville; $272,000 for nine after-school programs (including $35,000 for the Shawnee Gardens Tenants Association, Inc. in Louisville; $20,000 for the Southern Star Development Corporation in Louisville; and $20,000 for the Peace Center, Inc. in Louisville); $250,000 for the James S. Taylor Memorial Home; $225,000 for the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg to expand its music and arts program; and $50,000 for Stage One, the Louisville children’s theatre, for education projects.

$24,395,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the districts of Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and Robert Cramer (D-Ala.), including: $12,500,000 for the University of Alabama at Birmingham for construction of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Research Building; $500,000 for Wallace Community College in Dothan for the 21^st Century Electronic Classroom Project; $200,000 for the American Village Citizenship Trust, Montevallo, for a national initiative for teaching American history and civics; $200,000 for the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham to promote a health and fitness program; and $100,000 for the Family Success Center in Gadsen for equipment.

$15,800,000 added for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) and the district of House appropriator Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), including: $750,000 for Westminster College in Fulton for staff and curriculum development for the Center for Leadership and Service; $250,000 for the Franklin Technology Center in Joplin for equipment; $45,000 for the Springfield Regional Arts Council for Arts Education; and $21,000 for the Magic House in Kirkwood for the development and design of interactive exhibits and software.

$14,900,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Ernest “Fritz” Hollings (D-S.C.) and the district of House appropriator James Clyburn (D-S.C.), including: $5,000,000 for the University of South Carolina in Columbia for the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center; $1,000,000 for Trident Technical College in Charleston to equip the Hospitality, Tourism, and Culinary Arts Program; $250,000 for Clemson University for the Call Me Mister Program; $200,000 for the County of Charleston for the Charleston Media Technology Park Project; and $200,000 for the University Center in Greenville for equipment.

$11,975,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $1,500,000 for the Clark County School District for teacher improvements; $1,250,000 for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas ($1,000,000 for the School of Dental Medicine for the purchase of dental equipment and $250,000 for the Nevada Test Site Oral History Project); $500,000 for the Community College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas to construct a new health sciences building; and $150,000 for the Piper’s Opera House Programs, Inc. in Virginia City for exhibit design and the development of educational programming.

$9,325,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Herbert Kohl (D-Wisc.) and the district of House Labor/HHS Subcommittee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $1,500,000 for the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee; $400,000 for Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee to renovate Bonaventure Hall to expand nursing education programs; $165,000 for La Casa de Esperanza, Inc. in Waukesha for westernization training; and $150,000 for the Wisconsin Coalition for Independent Living Centers in Madison to expand assistive technology services.

$8,950,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee member Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and the district of House Labor/HHS subcommittee member Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), including $5,200,000 for Idaho state university and college projects, such as: $800,000 for the University of Idaho in Boise for an advanced computing and modeling lab; $400,000 for Idaho State University in Pocatello to establish a Master’s Degree Program in Dental Hygiene; and $250,000 for Idaho State University for a Virtual Idaho Museum of Natural History Project.

$4,889,000 added in conference for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and the district of House Labor/HHS subcommittee member Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), including $500,000 for Washington College in Chestertown and $250,000 for the American Film Institute’s Silver Ring Theater and Cultural Center for a technology-based mentoring program.

$4,000,000 for the KIPP Foundation in San Francisco for the KIPP School Leadership Program in the district of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

$1,000,000 added in conference for the First Tee Program in St. Augustine, Fla. for a character education program. The group’s mission is “to impact the lives of young people around the world by creating affordable and accessible golf facilities primarily to serve those who have not previously had exposure to the game and its positive values.” This is the second earmark that this organization received in this year’s appropriations bills; the first was for $2,000,000. Taxpayers are now even more teed off about wasteful spending.

$400,000 added in conference for New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium Imaging Project in the Bronx in the district of House appropriator Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.).

$200,000 added in conference for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio for the Rockin’ the Schools Education Program.

X. Legislative Branch

Congress rarely porks up the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill. In fact, there were years when there was no pork at all. However, when there is a $521 billion deficit, Congress should set a pork- free example for the rest of the government. Total pork in fiscal 2004 declined by 68 percent, from $72 million to $23 million.

$8,750,000 added by the Senate for Adventures of the American Mind. While its goal may sound reasonable — to incorporate the Library of Congress’ digital collections into school curricula—this money would be better spent on rebuilding crumbling schools.

$379,000 added in conference for the Meeting of Frontiers. According to its website, “The project grew out of discussions in 1997-98 between members of Congress, in particular Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, and James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress… Nowhere was the new situation more apparent than in Alaska, where the end of the Cold War led to a revival of ethnic, religious, and economic ties going back to the Russian settlement of Alaska in the late eighteenth century.” The Cold War is over, but the war on the deficit has yet to begin — especially in Alaska.

$250,000 added by the Senate for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The commission includes well-known pork-barrelers such as Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and House appropriator Ray LaHood (R-Ill.). The commission’s website www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/ provides free posters of Abraham Lincoln — if free means at taxpayer expense.

XI. Military Construction

Once again, appropriators hammered out a pork-filled Military Construction Appropriations Bill, but this year there is some good news. Although total earmarks increased by 5 percent, from 190 to 199, the total amount of pork decreased 13 percent, from $1.2 billion in fiscal 2003 to $1 billion in fiscal 2004.

$34,064,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $15,800,000 for a joint security forces complex at Eielson Air Force Base; $3,100,000 for an Army National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Juneau; $3,000,000 for Fort Wainwright ($1,500,000 for chapel expansion and $1,500,000 for a gymnasium); $1,400,000 to replace a working dog kennel at Elmendorf Air Force Base; and $1,000,000 for the Kulis Mobility Storage Warehouse addition.

$29,800,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd

(D-W.Va.): $25,800,000 for the Martinsburg Air National Guard Base ($15,000,000 for a C-5 parking apron, jet fuel storage, and a hydrant system; $5,800,000 for an air traffic control tower; and $5,000,000 for C-5 upgrades); and $4,000,000 for road security force protection modification for the Eleanor Army National Guard Base.

$27,750,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.): $21,000,000 for Phase I of replacing utilities infrastructure at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base; $5,000,000 for the Area B Main Gate Complex at Los Angeles Air Force Base; $1,444,000 to upgrade utilities at March Air Reserve Base; and $306,000 for a readiness center in Sacramento.

$25,050,000 for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $17,000,000 for Pohakula training area saddle road access at the Helemano Military Reservation; $6,800,000 for an electrical distribution system at Hickman Air Force Base; and $1,250,000 for a range operations complex at the Pacific Missile Range Facility.

$22,338,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), including: $13,600,000 for a fitness center at Randolph Air Force Base; $2,890,000 for a wheeled vehicle rebuild facility at the Red River Army Depot; $1,475,000 for a fitness center at Goodfellow Air Force Base; and $910,000 for the Chaffee Gate at Fort Bliss.

$20,800,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Harry Reid (D-Nev.): $11,800,000 for the vehicle maintenance complex at Nellis Air Force Base and $9,000,000 to replace the communication and security forces facility at the Reno Air National Guard Base.

$12,471,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.): $6,100,000 for the littoral surveillance system facility at Pascagoula Naval Station; $5,500,000 for an air traffic control tower at Columbus Air Force Base; $515,000 for a readiness center in Monticello; and $356,000 for a readiness center in Pascagoula.

$11,286,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.): $9,300,000 for a B-1 weapons system training facility at Ellsworth Air Force Base; $1,228,000 for a readiness center in Watertown; and $758,000 for a unit training and equipment site in Sioux Falls.

$10,750,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Jack Kingston (R-Ga.): $7,900,000 for a consolidated aircraft maintenance facility at Robins Air Force Base and $2,850,000 for a fire station at Fort Benning.

$10,208,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.): $9,020,000 for an Armed Forces Reserve Center at Kalispell and $1,188,000 for Malmstrom Air Force Base ($684,000 for the addition/alteration of the fitness center and $504,000 for a corrosion control facility).

$6,726,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.): $6,300,000 for a vehicle maintenance support equipment facility in New Orleans and $426,000 for the Squadron Operations Center at Barksdale Air Force Base.

$6,500,000 added by the House for a munitions storage complex at Hancock Field in the district of House Military Construction subcommittee member James Walsh (R-N.Y.).

$1,114,000 added by the House for additions and alterations to the readiness center in Pontiac in the district of House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Joseph Knollenburg (R-Mich.).

XII. Transportation, Treasury, General Government, and Related Agencies

During the reorganization of the Appropriations Committee to add a Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, Congress combined the Transportation Appropriations Bill with the Treasury/General Government Appropriations Bill. This created a mammoth spending bill that now funds everything from water taxis to courthouses. In fact, appropriators bellied up to the trough and provided $204 million for courthouses, 20 times more than last year’s level of $10 million. Overall, in its first year, this bill contained 2,039 projects at a cost of $4.4 billion.

$128,075,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $25,000,000 for Alaska Railroad Rehabilitation; $6,000,000 for wind/weather research in Juneau; $5,000,000 for the Funny River Bridge Crossing (ha ha); $4,000,000 for volcano monitoring; $3,000,000 for the Port of Anchorage Intermodal Facility; $3,000,000 for North Slope Borough Road improvements; 2,500,000 for the Arctic Winter Games; $2,000,000 for Shotgun Cove Road; $1,000,000 for Ship Creek improvements; $1,000,000 for the Port of Ketchikan Ferry; $1,000,000 for Lucille Street and Mack Drive improvements in Wasilla; $950,000 for North Pole roads lighting; $500,000 for the Iditarod Historic National Trail Project; $500,000 for Southeast Alaska Seatrails; $500,000 for various improvements to the Ketchikan International Airport; and $450,000 for the Alaska statehood celebration.

$103,860,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the district of House Transportation/Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), and the district of House appropriator Anne Northup (R-Ky.), including: $20,000,000 for Kentucky corridors; $8,000,000 for a Louisville technology demonstration; $3,500,000 to design/build a passenger terminal and construct a maintenance hangar at the Somerset Airport; $2,500,000 for the Transportation Authority of River City for bus/trolley replacement; $2,500,000 for the Western Kentucky University Bus Shuttle System; $2,000,000 for the Daviess County parking garage and intra-county transit facility; $2,000,000 for the Owensboro Waterfront Redevelopment Project; $1,750,000 for a downtown revitalization project in Somerset; $1,750,000 for the Danville Hub-Gilcher transit facility/parking structure; $1,000,000 for Kentucky Scenic Byways; $1,000,000 for Johnstown Road; $1,000,000 for the Hal Rogers Parkway; $500,000 for the University of Kentucky Academy for Community Transportation Innovation; $500,000 for the Central Kentucky Line Rail Service Preservation Project; and $40,000 for the Paducah Area Transit Authority.

$99,775,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation/Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), including: $9,500,000 for the Alabama State Docks Intermodal Facility; $7,500,000 for a Tuscaloosa federal building; $4,500,000 for the Huntsville Intelligent Transportation System; $1,000,000 for the Montgomery Riverwalk; $700,000 for the Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve; $500,000 for the Eufaula Broad Street Restoration Project; $500,000 for the Saegner Restoration Project; and $25,000 for pedestrian/bicycle linkage and scenic overlook restoration in Grant.

$98,005,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation/Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), including: $9,000,000 for various improvements to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; $3,626,000 for the King County Metro Park and Ride of First Hill in Seattle; $2,500,000 for the Seattle City Center Intelligent Transportation System; $2,000,000 for the Mukileto Intermodal Terminal; $1,500,000 for the Lexington Bridge Project in Cowlitz County; $1,225,000 for San Juan Boulevard in Bellingham; $1,000,000 for the WesStart Vehicular Flywheel Project; $1,000,000 for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall; and $500,000 for the Vancouver State Route 14 pedestrian bridge.

$81,347,000 for projects in the state of Senate Transportation/Treasury Appropriations subcommittee member Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and the district of House appropriator Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), including: $42,000,000 for FDA Consolidation; $7,500,000 for Maryland statewide bus facilities; $4,500,000 for the Southern Maryland Commuter Bus Initiative; $4,000,000 for the Russell Street Viaduct replacement in Baltimore; $800,000 for the Western Maryland Low Impact Welcome Center at Byron Overlook; $500,000 for the Intercounty Connector; $372,000 for the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore for emergency restoration; and $200,000 for Baltimore for traffic congestion management.

$75,933,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Transportation/Treasury Appropriations subcommittee member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $26,000,000 for the Harrisburg Courthouse; $14,000,000 for the Schuylkill Valley Metro in Philadelphia; $10,000,000 for the Pittsburgh North Shore Connector; $5,000,000 for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission high priority corridor #31; $1,500,000 for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Intelligent Transportation Systems; $1,000,000 for the Harrisburg International Airport Multimodal Transportation Facility; $250,000 to conduct a waterborne road marking evaluation at The Pennsylvania State University; and $83,000 for the Stourbridge Rail Excursion Line.

$37,750,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $11,000,000 for Route 9; $10,000,000 for Route 10; $8,000,000 for the Canvas Bridge in Nichols County; $4,000,000 for statewide buses and bus facilities; $1,000,000 for the Constructed Facilities Center at West Virginia University for the rapid development and durability of bridges; and $350,000 for Charles Town for gateway revitalization.

$25,995,000 for projects in the district of House Transportation/Treasury Appropriations subcommittee member John Olver (D-Mass.), including: $5,000,000 for the Gill-Montague Bridge; $2,500,000 for Route 2 safety improvements in Athol, Phillipston, and Orange; $2,000,000 for the Holyoke Multimodal Transportation Center; $1,200,000 for the Holyoke Canalwalk; $1,000,000 for the Franklin County Connecticut River Scenic Byway; and $615,000 for the Pittsfield Intermodal Transportation Center.

$15,350,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including: $4,000,000 for the Missiquoi Bay Bridge; $2,500,000 for Burlington transit facilities; $2,000,000 for Vermont covered bridges; $1,000,000 for Market Street in South Burlington; $750,000 for the University of Vermont to continue research into advanced ground penetrating radar systems; $250,000 for the Chittenden County Transportation Authority Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants Program; and $150,000 for the Moosalamoo Region Green Mountain National Forest.

$9,965,000 for projects in the district of House Transportation/Treasury Appropriations subcommittee member Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas), including: $2,500,000 for improvements to the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport; $1,600,000 for Rock Creek Bridge replacement in Harper County; $1,000,000 for a feasibility study and work plan for the International Trade Processing Center; $750,000 for Wichita Intelligent Transportation Systems; and $250,000 for Wichita Transit Authority system upgrades.

$6,400,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Transportation/Treasury Appropriations subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $1,500,000 for various improvements at the Erie-Ottawa Regional Airport; $1,500,000 for TARTA/Toledo bus fueling facilities; $750,000 for Toledo downtown waterfront redevelopment; $500,000 for Ohio State Route 2/Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge; and $200,000 for the Lorain Port Authority Lighthouse Shuttle and Clack River Water Taxi Project.

$1,800,000 added by the Senate for the Women’s World Cup Tournament.

$1,000,000 added by the House for the Des Moines Riverwalk in the district of Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa). This local attraction will be a half-mile “swath of paths, bridges, and landscaping hugging the banks of the Des Moines River. The projected cost is $15 million to $20 million.”

$500,000 added by the House for Anaheim Resort Transit, to fund buses in Disneyland, in the district of Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.). This is the Goofiest earmark ever.

$225,000 added by the Senate for the Hawaii statehood celebration in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii).

$100,000 added in conference for Public Service Recognition Week. Will Congress ever recognize the $521 billion deficit?

XIII. Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development

Appropriators are predictable. Every year they use the VA/HUD Appropriations Bill as their personal ATM. They withdraw money from the U.S. Treasury and then spend it on pork-barrel items. This year’s shopping spree included 902 earmarks, totaling $277 million, just in the Economic Development Initiative program. The Department of Housing and Urban Development did not request any of that funding. It is no surprise that this year’s bill included everything from renovating a Coca Cola building in Georgia to money for an art museum in Kansas that features rock and roll posters. Even though the total number of projects increased by 5 percent from fiscal 2003 to 2004, from 1,683 to 1,774, total pork decreased by 47 percent, from $1.6 billion to $1.1 billion.

$63,112,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), including: $21,000,000 for the Institute for Scientific Research, Inc.; $5,700,000 for the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, Inc.; $5,000,000 for the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, Inc. for land acquisition, development needs, community and neighborhood revitalization, and economic diversification; $1,500,000 for Beckley for downtown revitalization; $1,170,000 for Glenville State College for the construction of a new community education center; $500,000 for Appalachian Bible College in Beckley to complete its library resource center; $200,000 for the Strand Theater Preservation Society for theater renovations; $200,000 for Wheeling Jesuit University for the Classroom of the Future; and $150,000 for the Business and Industrial Development Corporation for the acquisition, renovation, and reuse of the Clendenin Middle School.

$47,235,000 added for projects in the district of House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman James Walsh (R-N.Y.), including: $12,300,000 for continued clean water improvements for Onondaga Lake; $8,775,000 for the Environmental Systems Center of Excellence at Syracuse University; $6,000,000 for the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program; $5,000,000 for the Syracuse Neighborhoods Initiative Program; $1,250,000 for Utica College of Syracuse for the design, construction, and expansion of science facilities; $500,000 for Onondaga County for renovations to the Fayetteville Library; $500,000 for Wayne County to construct a new livestock building at the fairgrounds; $500,000 for Syracuse for facilities and restoration of the Landmark Theater; $250,000 for Syracuse for facilities renovations of the Open Hand Theater; $250,000 for Syracuse for Automobile Row streetscape improvements; and $100,000 for Syracuse for renovations of the Redhouse Theater.

$35,850,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the districts of House appropriators Robert Aderholdt (R-Ala.) and Robert Cramer (D-Ala.), including: $3,000,000 for the 21^st Century Avenue Urban Renewal Project in Tuscaloosa; $1,000,000 for the Little River Canyon Field School in Jacksonville; $1,000,000 for the University of South Alabama for the Center for Estuarine Research; $1,000,000 for the Alabama Supercomputer Education Outreach program; $900,000 for Spring Hill College for construction of a new library; $400,000 for construction of the Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo; $400,000 for the University of South Alabama for improvements related to the Mitchell College of Business Library in Mobile; $300,000 for Huntsville for streetscape, beautification, and greenways improvements; $250,000 for construction of the Fairhope Library; and $250,000 for Guntersville for renovation of the Community Cultural Arts Center.

$35,385,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) and House appropriator Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), including: $5,000,000 for the Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Center, Inc.; $1,000,000 for the Missouri Pork Producers Association; $900,000 for Springfield for construction of a community multipurpose facility; $600,000 for Maryville for neighborhood revitalization; $450,000 for Kansas City for streetscape improvements in Union Hill; $450,000 for Carrolton for construction of the Riverfront Development Project; $225,000 for the Missouri Soybean Association to purchase a building for use as an incubation center in Kansas City; $175,000 for Cape Girardeau for the painting of a mural on the flood wall; and $75,000 each for streetscape improvements in Jefferson County, St. Louis, and St. Louis County.

$24,205,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the districts of House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Anne Northup (R-Ky.) and House appropriator Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), including: $3,000,000 for the H.L. Neblett Center in Owensboro/Daviess County for the construction of a new facility; $1,700,000 for Northern Kentucky University/University of Louisville for a digital science center; $925,000 for the Louisville Medical Center Development Corporation for property acquisition; $400,000 for the New Zion Community Development Foundation for facilities renovations and improvements; $250,000 for the YMCA of Franklin County for facilities construction; $225,000 for the Loudon-Laurel County Tourism Committee for construction of a Blue-Gray Civil War Theme Park; $200,000 for Renfro Valley for a municipal conference and civic center; $100,000 for Harrison County for improvements for the Harrison County Courthouse; and $100,000 for North Star Production, Inc. for an amphitheater.

$23,458,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $3,000,000 for the University of Alaska for weather and ocean research; $2,000,000 for the Denali Commission; $1,000,000 for the Anchorage Museum for facilities expansion; $1,000,000 for the Tongass Coast Aquarium in Ketchikan for improvements; $1,000,000 for construction of a community center in Cordova; $750,000 for recreation facilities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough; $500,000 for the Kenai River Center; $250,000 for the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum for improvements; $200,000 for the city of North Pole for recreation improvements; $150,000 for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation for a global logistics center; and $30,000 for Palmer for public facility improvements.

$20,945,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $5,500,000 for three projects at the Stennis Space Center ($2.5 million for infrastructure improvements; $2 million for the Commercial Technology Program; and $1 million for relocation of the visitors center); $1,000,000 for Mississippi State University for renovation of the Lloyds-Ricks Building; $1,000,000 for Meridian for the rehabilitation of the Riley Education and Performing Arts Center; $500,000 for renovation of the Pearl Community Center; and $150,000 for Harrison County for construction of waterfront facilities.

$20,045,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and House appropriator Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), including: $2,000,000 for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for photonics research; $1,000,000 for Harford County for the Oaklyn Manor Project; $750,000 for Montgomery County for pedestrian linkages in Silver Spring; $600,000 for Baltimore for the Main Streets Initiative Project; $500,000 for the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore for building renovations; $500,000 for Howard County for revitalization of Route 1; $300,000 for Washington County for the Smithsburg Library; $200,000 for Mt. Ranier for facilities rehabilitation in the Gateway Arts District; $150,000 for the Olney Theater for the Arts for construction of a theater; and $75,000 for Rockville for construction of a park at King Mill.

$16,255,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and House appropriator Tom Latham (R-Iowa), including: $2,500,000 for Ottumwa for the separation of combined sewers; $2,000,000 for Iowa State University for nondestructive evaluation studies; $800,000 for the University of Northern Iowa for new environmental technologies for small businesses; $500,000 for the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls for the Existing Business Enhancement Program; $500,000 for the Iowa Department of Economic Development for the Main Street Iowa Initiative; $300,000 for Council Bluffs for the 23^rd Avenue Housing Project; $200,000 for the Iowa Department of Economic Development for the enhancement of regional economic development capabilities; $100,000 for Grinnell for restoration and rehabilitation of downtown buildings; and $100,000 for the Iowa State Fair Board in Des Moines for a statewide awareness and education exhibit.

$13,850,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $2,000,000 for New Mexico State University for the ultra-long balloon program to augment planned flights and technology development; $2,000,000 for the Valley Utilities Project in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County; $700,000 for the Hobbs Industrial Air Park; $640,000 for construction of an addition to the Tijeras Village Hall; and $300,000 for the city of Gallup for wastewater infrastructure improvements.

$13,500,000 added for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wisc.), including: $2,150,000 for Port Edwards for replacement of a sewage treatment plant; $1,000,000 for Wausau for construction of a business development center; $300,000 for Techstar of Milwaukee for economic development initiatives; $200,000 for Menomonee Valley Partners of Milwaukee for the redevelopment of a former rail yard; and $150,000 each for Oneida County and Langlade County for the restoration of historic buildings.

$13,000,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $1,500,000 for the University of Montana, Missoula for the National Space Privatization Program; $1,500,000 for Montana State University, Bozeman for the Center for Studying Life in Extreme Environments; $500,000 for Story Mansion in Bozeman for historical renovations and improvements; and $350,000 for the Bozeman Library for renovations and infrastructure.

$10,750,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), including: $2,000,000 for Texas Tech University in Lubbock for equipment at the Experimental Sciences Building; $1,000,000 for the University of Texas, Austin, for nanomedicine; $700,000 for Denton for downtown redevelopment and infrastructure improvements; and $200,000 for continued renovations to the Holt Hotel in Wichita Falls.

$8,000,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), including: $2,000,000 for the Wapka Sica Historical Society in Fort Pierre for the Wapka Sica Reconciliation Center; $400,000 for Parker for the development of a community center; $350,000 for Sioux Falls for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Orpheum Theater; and $100,000 for Redfield for renovations and improvements to the Carnegie Library.

$7,090,000 for projects in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), including: $1,000,000 for the Vermont Center on Emerging Technologies in Burlington for the development of a technology incubator; $500,000 for the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences in Woodstock for the construction of a wildlife rehabilitation facility; $500,000 for the University of Vermont in Burlington for the Center for Advanced Computing; $150,000 for the Vermont Broadband Council to expand broadband services in rural Vermont; and $90,000 for the Southern Vermont Recreation Center Foundation in Springfield for construction of a community center.

$5,850,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), including: $1,300,000 for the University of Toledo Turbine Institute; $1,000,000 for Toledo for wet weather flow and wastewater infrastructure improvements; $200,000 for Oberlin for construction of the East College Street Project; $100,000 for the North River Development Corporation in Toledo for economic development planning for the Galena Street Redevelopment Project; and $100,000 for marquee and façade rehabilitation of the Ohio Theater in Toledo.

$5,573,500 added for projects in the district of House VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), including: $650,000 for Bradley University in Peoria for renovations; $500,000 for Peoria for construction of a proposed medical/technical district; $350,000 for Springfield for the replacement of the First Street sewer and stormwater management for Memorial Medical Center; $250,000 for Lincoln Christian College; and $100,000 for Peoria for the Southern Gateway revitalization project to redevelop this neighborhood into a commercial center.

$4,775,000 added by the House for projects in the district of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.), including: $1,400,000 for Dunedin for construction of recreation center facilities; $1,000,000 for facilities construction for Tampa Bay Watch; $500,000 for St. Petersburg for land acquisition, relocation, demolition, and conveyance for the midtown retail redevelopment project; $300,000 for facilities expansion at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg; and $100,000 for St. Petersburg for facilities expansion for the Museum of Natural History.

$4,600,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), including: $750,000 for the Cambria Somerset Authority for the Quemahoning Reservoir Water Supply Project to provide water to communities in Somerset and Cambria Counties; $300,000 for Lancaster for the development of an entertainment/retail complex; $150,000 for the Borough of Lehighton to establish a Market Town Community Technology Center; $125,000 for Downtown Chambersburg, Inc. to construct the Capitol Theater Center and preserve the 1927 Capitol Theater; $100,000 for the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development for the development of the former U.S. Steel Furnace Site; $75,000 for the Warner Theater Preservation Trust in Erie to restore and expand the historic Warner Theater; $75,000 for the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County for the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site; and $50,000 for Erie for site preparation and redevelopment of the vacant and blighted Koehler Brewery Building.

$225,000 added by the House at the request of Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) for Sparks for rehabilitation of the Deer Park Pool facilities. Rep. Gibbons requested the money to help repair a 61-year-old public swimming pool located a block from where he grew up. In the 1950s, he and some of his friends clogged the drain with tadpoles, which caused the pool to temporarily shut down. Last year, Rep. Gibbons finally admitted responsibility for the incident, known as the “Polliwog Caper.” Rep. Gibbons defended his pork by telling the Associated Press, “I cannot think of a better way to spend $225,000 than to give the children of Sparks a swimming pool.” How about giving your constituents a budget surplus instead of drowning them in red ink?

$175,000 added by the House for the Wichita Art Museum in the district of House appropriator Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas). One of the Museum’s most recent exhibits, “Are You Experienced? The Art of Rock: Psychedelic Rock Posters from the Players’ Sports Bar & Grill Collection,” is a collection of 50 original posters advertising rock concerts in San Francisco from 1966 to 1970. According to the Wichita Eagle, one of David Chaffin’s (owner of Players’ Sports Bar) restaurant managers “was married to an employee of the Wichita Art Museum, who suggested showing the collection there. Kirk Eck, the museum's photographer, eagerly pitched the idea because of the posters' historical and aesthetic value.” Taxpayers don’t find this groovy at all.

$100,000 added by the House for the city of Macon, Georgia for the renovation of the historic Coca-Cola building. Coca-Cola reported that its 2003 net income of $676 million was an increase of 37 percent from the previous year. The only figure increasing in the federal government is the deficit.

$100,000 added by the House for the Jefferson County Courthouse Clock Tower in the district of House appropriator Norman Dicks (D-Wash.). Time is running out on taxpayers.

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

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