Freedom Foundation of Minnesota: Top 10 ‘Highlights’ of Minnesota Delegation’s Pork Requests
Source: Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
While Congress is now required to post earmark requests online, the e-word evidently still makes some members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation uncomfortable. On his website, for example, 18-term Congressman James Oberstar refers to “constituent inspired funding” requests, an Orwellian nickname for earmarks.
In fact, three members of Minnesota’s delegation no longer pursue any “constituent-inspired funding” whatsoever — Cong. Michele Bachmann, Cong. Erik Paulsen and Cong. John Kline.
Congressman Tim Walz’s website offers an unusual disclaimer: “These funding requests do not add funds to the federal budget, but set aside funds for a specific project that would otherwise be allocated to—and spent by—federal bureaucrats.”
Regardless of whether it’s federal bureaucrats or Members of Congress who allocate the funds, of course, taxpayers pick up the bill. So what’s the bottom line for taxpayers on earmarks requested by Minnesota’s delegation?
A Freedom Foundation of Minnesota analysis indicates the state’s congressional delegation has compiled 216 earmarks worth hundreds of millions of dollars in potential spending. And that’s before Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken add their earmarks in coming weeks and months. Earmark requests by representatives Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, and Collin Peterson can be viewed at their respective websites.
While many earmark requests will ultimately be rejected by Congress, dozens will receive your tax dollars. In 2010, the Minnesota delegation boasted 102 earmarks that cost taxpayers more than $68 million, a figure that soars far higher after adding in joint earmarks with members from other states, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.
FFM has compiled a top ten list of the most memorable Fiscal Year 2011 earmark requests compiled by the Minnesota delegation totaling $22 million in funding.
| Potential Recipient | Amount Requested | Project Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | MN Association of Townships | $2 million | Road sign replacement–Federal tax dollars for local government to replace good street signs with more reflective street signs now required by federal government overregulation. Enough to give taxpayers road sign rage. |
| 9. | Ramsey County | $4 million | Interstate 94 Transit Study–Millions for consultants for a stacked study of congestion on I-94 that excludes the option of adding more car lanes and concludes the only solution is a transit corridor. Who needs consultants? |
| 8. | City of Minneapolis | $750,000 | Employment and Training Services for Ex-Offenders–Why does having a criminal background make you eligible for your own career counseling program? Ex-offenders should enroll in existing job training programs. A true crime against the taxpayers. |
| 7. | Preservation Alliance of Minnesota | $100,000 | Historic Building Trades Job Training and Mentoring Program–Tax dollars to teach a “new generation of workers” not high tech essentials for the new economy but retro skills for “historic structures.” Taxpayers should nail this earmark. |
| 6. | Fit City Duluth | $368,000 | Fit City Duluth Healthy Communities Transportation Program–Fiscally fit might be one thing, but $368,000 for an investment to get citizens more active is bloated and overweight. |
| 5. | American Swedish Institute | $500,000 | Swedish Institute Remodel–Half a million dollars to renovate Swan Turnblad’s south Minneapolis house? Not with so much of our infrastructure in need of repair. Uff da! |
| 4. | Met Council & MnDOT | $13 million | Three More Heavily Subsidized Rail Projects–Taxpayers are being light, commuter and high speed-railroaded again: Whether it’s extending Northstar commuter rail ($5 million) that taxpayers already subsidize at $90 per round trip ticket, or studying Minneapolis to Chicago high speed rail ($5 million) that would cost more and take longer than flying, or promoting a southwest suburban rail line ($3 million) that will require millions per year in operating subsidies. |
| 3. | Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board | $500,000 | Grand Rounds Scenic Byway plank road replacement–The city can’t keep up with filling all the fresh potholes in Minneapolis, but wants to use your tax dollars to pave a street with wood. |
| 2. | City of Eagan |
$650,000 | “Green” Hybrid Fire Trucks–When the fire alarm goes off, does it really matter if the fire truck consumes less fuel while idling at potentially life and death calls? |
| 1. | Children’s Theatre Co. & School | $202,874 | Early Bridges/Arts Learners–This request to provide day care drama and pre-school theater arts classes for kids 2-5 should be sent back(stage). |
Disclaimer: Exclusion from this list should not be viewed as an implied endorsement of the Minnesota delegation’s 200 plus additional earmark request
