Tracking Your Taxes: Unnecessary Earmark Projects Linger
Special interest groups push Congress to give earmarks to projects year after year, no matter how wasteful.
By William Lajeunesse
FOXNews.com
Members of Congress defend earmarks as federal funds they need for projects that will help their local districts.
But the taxpayers’ money goes to such projects as finding ways to utilize wood, preventing brown tree snakes on Guam and supporting California’s vibrant wine industry — in all 50 states and for much longer than originally intended.
Take “wood utilization” research. Since 1995, taxpayers have spent nearly $100 million to find ways to utilize wood. And even though 12 federal agencies already preserve, promote and protect trees and the timber industry, congressmen from 11 states tack on another $4 million a year for similar projects.
Money for shrimp aquaculture has been funded yearly since 1985, and lawmakers recently added 74 earmarks worth $76 million to help shrimp farmers in states like Arizona and Texas. This year they want $2.9 million more.
Other earmarks include: $15 million to prevent brown tree snakes in Hawaii and Guam.
Heritage Foundation economist Brian Riedl say some earmarks stay in the budget year after year, often because they have the same campaign contributors who are effectively buying a government grant.
“And once Congress develops special interest with the recipient, they keep going back to the well. And the result is no matter how wasteful and stupid some of these earmarks are, like utilization research, you just can’t get rid of them,” Riedl says.
Ireland has an economy many argue is in better shape than the U.S., and yet since 1986 U.S. taxpayers have given $265 million to that country for “economic and social development.”
Taxpayers are still subsidizing the International Fund for Ireland to the tune of $14 million a year. Taxpayers also subsidized peanuts with 10 earmarks totaling $4.8 million since 1997. Alabama lawmakers are asking for another $413,000 in 2010. This is in addition to the $8 million the USDA already spends on the peanut industry.
U.S. wine sales last year topped $30 billion, and yet California and New York lawmakers used your money to provide them $90 million in research. This year they want $7.6 million more. The table grape industry received its own $3.5 million grant, while the Center for Grape Genetics in upstate New York has pulled in roughly $2 million in each of the last 4 years.
Critics say if these programs really were important, federal agencies would include them in the budget. Fact is, most of them are not because they can’t win a competitive grant and really are just pork, or something that benefits a pet interest or benefactor of a given lawmaker.
Thanks to Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, lowbush blueberry growers received 14 earmarks worth $3.4 million since 1995, not including the $173,000 they want again this year.
“The earmark system we have now has not always been this way. Fifteen years ago there were only 1,000 earmarks per year. Now there’s 10,000 earmarks per year,” Riedl says.
“The result is while it costs only $20 billion per year, these earmarks are used to persuade congressmen to vote for trillion-dollar spending bills So, they end up greasing the entire wheels of big government.”
Term limits and banning lobbiest’s would be a good start. banning all earmarks is another. If California grape growers want money,they should ask the state legislature, not the fedral government.tax reform, less government is what will keep the USA strong.
there are over 40 million people over the age of 50. Here is a simple plan to fix things in America.. This is a good start. There are 3 requirements to this plan and you must carry them out within 30 days.
Give every person over 50 1 million dollars… They must all do the following…
Retire… 40 million new job openings right now
unemployment fixed
Purchase a new car… 40 million cars sold right now
Auto industry fixed
Buy a new home or pay off your mortgage
Housing crises fixed right now
Everyone turning 50 gets the same deal
Here is the best news with this plan.. Approx 50 % taxes come right back to the Government unlike the money that has not come back so far… I believe chances are it will not happen
From fox news it appears the huge companies that got millions are back to the same old stuff, Waste money that is really is not theres. Before the got a nickel from taxpayers a law or Bill should have been sent thru right away. That is, if you waste money you will be neighbors with
madoff and the final decision will be up to the courts…
The people decide if you squandered our money…
Rolly Moore
Keep in mind there cannot be pork or earmarks in this plan There are over 40 million people over the age of 50. Here is a simple plan to fix things in America.. This is a good start. There are 3 requirements to this plan and you must carry them out within 30 days.
Give every person over 50 1 million dollars… They must all do the following…
Retire… 40 million new job openings right now
unemployment fixed
Purchase a new car… 40 million cars sold right now
Auto industry fixed
Buy a new home or pay off your mortgage
Housing crises fixed right now
Everyone turning 50 gets the same deal
Here is the best news with this plan.. Approx 50 % taxes come right back to the Government unlike the money that has not come back so far… I believe chances are it will not happen
From fox news it appears the huge companies that got millions are back to the same old stuff, Waste money that is really is not theres. Before the got a nickel from taxpayers a law or Bill should have been sent thru right away. That is, if you waste money you will be neighbors with
madoff and the final decision will be up to the courts…
The people decide if you squandered our money…
Rolly Moore
Unfortunately these pork projects just keep rollong along and we get informed about them but truly what can we do we vote for our canditates who fight pork but how successful are they. Unfortunately taxation without representation has creeped back in,if I am lucky enough I get the person I voted into office but do they really have enough power to turn down these earmarks, seem to me with the latest technology the people can have there say really back by letting them vote on these earmarks how did this country get in such bad shape it truly is sad times for the American people and unfortunately it will be like this for a long long time, I just wish I could see some light at the end of the tunnel for my grankids grankids.
And much of this earmark money ends up right back in the hands of the Congressman that got it in the first place through donation to their Campaigns. A bit self serving don’t you think?
Amazing isn’t it? The Congress and the President are like drunken sailors steering a boat towards shore to crash on the rocks. They don’t even care of the consequences. Well, comes 2010 it’s one ship going down with all hands except Joe Wilson. It’s going to be a great pleasure and great day in Nevada for us to send Harry Reid to the unemployment office. A significant change in congress will strip Obama of substantial power to make him a lame duck for the remainder of his term. This is the beauty of the checks and balances the Founders put in the Constitution so if ever we got a King George egomaniac,he could be nullified by override of any vetoes on bills submitted. Comes 2012 it’ll be “Gobama” and good riddance. His skin color has nothing to do with it. He’s just a narcissistic, arrogant, and very dangerous person having no business being in the White House.
Thank you to Fox News and Congressman John Kline for this information! It’s all about our vote. I have been a supporter of John Kline for many years, however the day I find out that he has spent my money on something as FOOLISH as the afroe mentioned earmarks, I’ll be voting for someone else. It’s not a single party problem. Both parties are guilty. The only way I know how to stop it is by our VOTE. GET OUT AND MAKE IT COUNT!!
The President said he would not allow all these earmarks, but in the Stimulus Package, there were many, many earmarks. Either, he did not read the Stimulus before signing it or he ignored the earmarks. Each Bill of Congress should be separate, then there could be no earmarks, only money designed for the certain bill itself. Congress should think about this. It is a sure fire sollution to all these earmarks. If they want something, make a bill for whatever they want. Thanks.
Thank you to Fox News and Congressman John Kline for this information! It’s all about our vote. I have been a supporter of John Kline for many years, however the day I find out that he has spent my money on something as FOOLISH as the afroe mentioned earmarks, I’ll be voting for someone else. It’s not a single party problem. Both parties are guilty. The only way I know how to stop it is by our VOTE. GET OUT AND MAKE IT COUNT!!