POST SCRIPTS

Executives of Murphy Oil Corporation thrilled their hometown of El Dorado, Arkansas when they announced to students in a packed gymnasium their intention to offer college scholarships to everyone graduating from El Dorado High School over the next 20 years. The $50 million fund will dole out college money for any institution in or out of state equal to the tuition at an Arkansas public university...

"This is a huge day. As of today, El Dorado High School graduates will have an unprecedented opportunity to continue their education," said Bob Watson, superintendent of El Dorado Public Schools. "For some students, this is life-changing. Those who have worked hard, but would not have been able to attend college because of financial limitations, now have the means to do so."

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:59 AM | Comments (2)

Home Sales Slump

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of existing homes fell in December, closing out a year in which demand for homes slumped by the largest amount in 17 years. The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes were down 0.8 percent last month, a bigger decline than had been expected. For the year, sales fell by 8.4 percent, the biggest annual decline since 1989, when existing home sales fell by 14.8 percent.

The sales figure underscored the sharp contraction that is going on in the once high-flying housing market, which before last year had set sales records for five straight years. Even with the sharp drop in sales last year, the median price of an existing home sold in 2006 managed to rise a slight 1.1 percent. But that was far below the double-digit gains during the boom years. The median home price had risen by 12.4 percent in 2005.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:56 AM | Comments (0)

Mujibar was trying to get a job in India. The Personnel Manager said, "Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except one. Unless you pass it you cannot qualify for this job." Mujibar said, "I am ready"

The manager said, "Make a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink and Green." Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, "Mister manager, I am ready" The manager said, "Go ahead." Mujibar said, "The telephone goes green, green, and I pink it up, and say, 'Yellow, this is Mujibar.'" Mujibar now works as a technician at a call center for computer problems.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:45 AM | Comments (1)

January 24, 2007

Citrus Freeze and Layoffs

by Jack Lee

Recently NPR's award winning journalist, Nina Totenberg (see photo), did a story about the economic devastation the recent citrus crop freeze has wrought and this incorporated a tender story about a woman facing a layoff at a produce packing plant. A story that no doubt evoked a great deal of emotion and compassion from her audience.

Because the interviewee spoke only Spanish, she spoke through a translator as she expressed her concerns that the safety nets government has was going to provide her, including unemployment benefits and a large utility tax credit would not kick in for at least 30-60 days. She wondered how she would make ends meet till then? Just another sad story of the toll the citrus freeze has taken on everyone, right? Well, not exactly, there was a "PS". See, there's pretty good evidence to indicate the woman in question was here illegally and now we have her and her 4 kids that need support during the layoff. Unfortunately Totenberg was more focused on implying here's another Bush failure in the making, just like Katrina. Another case of, "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story".

Posted by Post Scripts at 04:38 PM | Comments (3)

Freedom-A Contrast of Systems

by Tina Grazier

I got the newest issue of Imprimis in the mail a few days ago and as I read it, I found myself being treated to a contrast of systems; a contrast that brought a new depth of appreciation to my experience of freedom. The adaptation was taken from a speech given by Andrei Illarionov at Hillsdale College and was entitled, "Freedom vs.
Non-Freedom: A View from Russia". Dr. Illarionov first described genuine constitutional government:

A government can be considered genuinely constitutional only if it
operates under the following minimal constraints: (1) The legislature
cannot be dismissed by any body or person other than itself. (2) The
courts are independent of the legislative and executive branches. (3)
The executive branch cannot appoint ministers without the approval of
the legislative branch. (4) Only the legislature can pass laws.

The failure of communism in the Soviet Union, and its eventual demise,
opened the door to freedom and democracy and marked a moment of great
hope for the people. By 1993, however, a fledgling parliament in Russia
was dissolved by presidential decree. Now all ministers are appointed by
the president and pass laws only under his authority. The courts remain
independent, but are in fact subordinate to the executive.

Dr. Illarionov describes the gradual, subtle erosion of systems
resulting in the destruction and loss of freedom.

MANY RUSSIAN PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS NOT THEIR BUSINESS:

...to defend the freedom of the people of Chechnya...(they) lost
their independence, their political rights-and many of them-their lives.
Many Russians lost their lives as well.

...to defend the freedom of the media. As a result the media lost
it's independence-first television channels, then radio stations and
newspapers. And now the censors are turning their attention on the
internet.

...to defend the freedom of private business. So private business has
lost it's independence and has become subjugated to the caprice of the
executive power.

...to defend the independence of political parties. As a result
independent political parties ceased to exist.

...finally some people tried to defend the freedom of these
organizations (non-governmental and religious organizations), but it was
too late. And now even those who want to resist have neither the
resources nor the institutions required to fight back.

The government of Russia is reportedly forming internal "storm troopers"
trained to "harass and beat' dissenters. Internationally the government
provides economic, financial, political, intellectual and moral support
to other non-free countries such as Belarus, Uzbekistan, Venezuela,
Myanmar, Algeria, Iran, and Palestinian Hammas. The government is also
attempting to destroy neighboring free countries.

War is the basic commonality of non-free countries according to Dr.
Illarionov. "War," he says "in which governments take away property and
destroy society, in which they send people away to camps or kill them
solely because they have a different perception of the world, of faith,
of law, and of their homeland. Only through hatred, fear and electoral
violence can these governments hold on to what is dearest to
them-absolute power."

New political lines are being drawn around the world. New associations
are forming. Those of us who value freedom would be wise to notice, with
eyes clearly opened, acknowledging the threat that these associations
pose. As Dr. Illarionov so elegantly expressed in his speech, it is
absolute power won through oppression and war that dictators desire. We
have witnessed a similar presidential course by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela
in recent months:

Mr. Chávez further intensified worries with his request for vastly
enhanced presidential authority from his Congress. If successful, those
new powers would allow him to decree measures into law for one year,
bypassing any debate in the legislature, where in any case all 167
deputies are his supporters. On top of that, he made a request to
abolish the autonomy of Venezuela's central bank. New York Times
Jan. 10, 2007.

The commonality of war and absolute power can make for strange
bedfellows. Under normal circumstances the atheist/communist Hugo Chavez
would seem an unlikely ally of the fascist radical Islamist Ahmadinijad
of Iran. But as a recent New York Sun editorial explains:

That the left makes common cause with the Islamists is one of the
bizarre facts of modern geopolitics. The only thing Marxists like
Messrs. Chavez, Ortega, and Correa have in common today with the likes
of Mr. Ahmadinejad is a hatred of America. That is the foundation on
which the Marxist-Islamist scheme is formed and the motivation behind
any actions it carries out.

This explanation, although accurate, proves too easy however, and I
found a more foundational explanation in a piece by Dr. Jack Wheeler at
"To The Point":

Yet the common bond between the two is far, far deeper than a simple
emotion of hate. The bond is as deep as you get. It is metaphysical.
That is because Marx and Mohammed share the same view on the nature of
reality.***Their fundamental bond - thus that between Chavez and
Ahmadinejad - is a denial of the Law of Non-Contradiction. *** That
reality is contradictory is the basic tenet of Dialectical Materialism -
the philosophy of Marx, Engels, and Lenin - and of philosophical Islam,
for which it is blasphemous to claim Allah is subject to the Law of
Non-Contradiction as that would limit and bind him in the "chains of
logic." ***If reality is contradictory and logic is an illusion, then
you are left with only one way to resolve conflicts and disagreements:
violently. For Marxists and Moslems, change in the world consists of
contradictory opposing forces - exploiters and exploited, believers and
infidels - overcoming or being overcome.***Thus both Marx and Mohammed,
Chavez and Ahmadinejad, are advocates of apocalyptic totalitarianism.

I realize that one heck of a lot of folks in America are upset, angry,
or disillusioned with President Bush and his commitment to the war. Many
wish it would just go away...but I'm here to say...it just may be that
President Bush knows what he's doing. If I can see a dangerous gathering
storm from my limited view here in Chico, California, what more might I
see as president of this great nation? What information might the secret
documents and daily reports bring to add color and depth to my
perceptions? And how strongly would I feel the responsibility to defend
and protect my country and her people and the freedom we all treasure
and enjoy.

As Dr. Illarionov said in his speech, "Freedom is not a luxury. It is a
very powerful instrument, without which no person and no country in the
world can have sustained prosperity, security, development, or respect."
I'd say those things are worth defending and protecting in this changing
world where dark forces threaten in relentless measure.

Dr. Andrei Illarionov is president of the Institute of Economic Analysis
in Moscow. He was the driving force behind the adoption of the 13% flat
tax as chief economic advisor to President Vladimir Putin. He resigned
in protest of government policies in December of 2005.

Posted by Post Scripts at 07:42 AM | Comments (1)

January 23, 2007

Three Top Thoughts for 2007

Three Top Thoughts for 2007

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

In the 60's, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe
we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

Posted by Post Scripts at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

More Good News from Mexico

by Tina Grazier

A recent New York Times article reports a change in policy that signals greater
cooperation in the drug war:

United States law enforcement officials have long complained about Mexican reluctance to hand over drug traffickers indicted in crimes north of the Rio Grande, as many drug kingpins have continued to operate their deadly

networks from inside Mexican prisons, where they have been able to corrupt officials. Until now, however, the Mexican government has resisted the extraditions, arguing that the drug cartel leaders must face justice here first. Also, until a recent Supreme Court ruling, Mexican officials were unable to extradite criminals because they face the death penalty in the United States, which is banned in Mexico. The court overturned that rule. "The actions overnight by the Mexican government are unprecedented in their scope and importance," the United States attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, said in a statement on Saturday.

This is the second time that we have seen positive changes coming out of Mexico since the recent election of President Calderón. This change resulted in the extradition to America of the following individuals:

Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the leader of the Gulf Cartel in Tamaulipas State, was among the 21 people flown under heavy armed guard to the United States on Friday night and handed over to federal authorities. He is under indictment in Texas for trafficking in marijuana and threatening to kill three law enforcement agents. The Mexican government also turned over Ismael and Gilberto Higuera Guerrero, brothers who were high-ranking members of the Arellano-Félix cartel in Tijuana, as well as Hector Palma Salazar, a former leader in the Sinaloa cartel. All face racketeering and drug trafficking charges in Southern California. The Sinaloa cartel controls the border around El Paso. Joaquín Guzman, known as El Chapo, escaped from prison in 2001 after bribing officials and still oversees the gang, along with several other important traffickers who have somehow eluded the Mexican police.

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:32 PM | Comments (2)

A Matter of Life, a Matter of Heart

by Tina Grazier

Apparently the number of lives lost is staggering now. In fact, the numbers of dead and maimed make it a matter too horrible for any heart to bear and certainly not worth the price we pay. The media has participated, waging its own war of words, hammering away, hoping to bend and shape the will of the people. There’s is a strategy designed to create confidence of legality and correctness of cause. It is a strategy that has served to work against those who would stop the atrocity. So I have to ask the obvious:

In this long and horrible war, would it make a difference if we called it a quagmire? If we said that the judgment that got us into this mess was a BIG mistake, would it then become a terrible thing that had to be ended? If we said the people who made the judgment were incompetent and unwilling to admit mistakes would that change minds? Would the public begin to cry out, demanding that the House of Representatives pass legislation and de-fund it? Would Cindy Sheehan, and other aging hippie gals, take to the streets to spread the word garnering fawning media attention along the way? Would the public be treated to nighttime memorial vigils…people gathered together…swaying back and forth and singing softly with flickering candles…tiny points of light to be snuffed, one by one, to mark the death of each and every lost life?

I’m talking about a gruesome useless war; a war of terrible shame. Does it not deserve the same kind of media hype and public outcry that other recent wars have received? This war destroys the lives of our young, killing and maiming them before they have a chance to experience the good things in life…marriage, children, career. This war is shamelessly and enthusiastically sold, to young women in particular, to prepare them for the inevitable promiscuous life they must and will lead, if ever they are to experienceequality. It is a war that is defended as a right; a war that has been waged for thirty-four years.

Today marks the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, a decision that has resulted in rampant thoughtless abortion. It is a war that was innocuously sold as an effort to make it possible for abortion to be safe, legal and rare. Forty-seven million babies denied the most basic right (life) and treated as waste speak truth to the lie that abortion is a rare occurrence. This is a war of dishonor waged for purely selfish ends; a war waged without moral underpinning or honorable cause. It lacks even the most basic heartfelt justification.

Overturning Roe v. Wade would not make abortion illegal. It would take the issue once again back to the individual states and the people of those states.
.

The following demonstrate support, some from unexpected places, to end this war on the unborn. There are other sites of interest as well:

godlessprolifers.org
When Do Human Beings Begin? Scientific Myths and Scientific Facts
On the Abortion Issue -Technology Works Both Ways
Pro-life.liberals.com
Pro-life Liberal Essays that defend life:

Kyle Eller: "It's not that there aren't others like me. In fact, according to the National Pro-Life Democrats Committee, a national poll from 1998 showed that 38 percent of Democrats -- and 40 percent of Democrat women -- took a pro-life position on abortion, to one degree or another. It's that these voices are ignored. Don't expect 38 percent, or 5 percent, of Democratic candidates to endorse those views. The hypocrisy of the Democratic party, which poses as defender of the weak but sanctions the slaughter of more than a million of the most defenseless people on Earth annually, appalls and sickens me." -- Surprise, surprise -- another election spoiled by abortion (originally published in the Duluth Budgeteer News).

Norah Vincent: "The "pro-choice" lobby assumes that people, especially those living in poverty, are no more capable than stray cats of exercising control over their reproductive habits. Among such creatures, goes the theory, unplanned pregnancies are as inevitable as they are in a barn. Thus, preventing the births of unwanted children means "keeping abortion safe and legal," or, to put it less euphemistically, resorting to fetal disposal after the coital fact." Village Voice-Aborting Crime

The following 2 websites contain graphic content and photos:

The Genocide Awareness Project

... [Pro-abortionists] cannot look at their handiwork or the handiwork they defend. Across the country, they shrink from photos of the babies killed in abortions. Through their mighty political groups, the pro-abortionists compel TV stations to refuse advertisements showing partial birth and other abortion artifacts. They will not even allow viewers (or themselves, I suspect) to see what their policies have wrought. They are, at least to my mind, like the Germans who refused to think about what was happening at Dachau and then vomited when they saw -- and never wanted to see again. Ben Stein, May 1989 issue The American Spectator magazine

Photos

I found the website protectchoice.org
to be typical of the feminist pro-choice point of view:

Where abortion is illegal, unsafe abortions take the lives of tens of thousands of women every year. The World Health Organization estimates that 20 million unsafe abortions take place each year in countries where abortion is restricted or prohibited. The likelihood of a woman having an abortion is similar in developed and developing countries, although abortion is more likely to be illegal in developing countries. A woman is hundreds of times more likely to die from an illegal abortion than a legal one [17].

Women have abortions for a variety of reasons, and commonly, for more than one reason. Inability to afford a child--or another child-- relationship problems, school and work constraints, for example, are common factors in a woman's choosing to end a pregnancy. Just as no two women's experiences are the same, no one woman's choice is the same as another's [19].

State sanctioning of abortion is a tragic error of humanity with ramifications yet to be realized. An “illegal unsafe� abortion describes an act of desperation by an individual woman, a double tragedy of human ethics, standards and heart.

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:19 PM | Comments (2)

January 21, 2007

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country. Well, there's a very simple answer. Nobody bothered to check the oil. We just didn't know we were getting low. The reason for that is purely geographical. Our OIL is located in Alaska, California, Coastal Florida, Coastal Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. But, our DIPSTICKS are located in Washington DC! Any Questions?

Posted by Post Scripts at 12:19 PM | Comments (1)

The Games They Play - A Cynical View

by Jack "Cynic" Lee

Have you ever noticed that our best...our most inspired legislation... seems to come AFTER a voters revolt? They toss out the errant party and they become the minority legislators desperately trying to win back control with grandly idealistic legislation. The GOP is in that situation now and they are scrambling to come up with attention getting legislation that was absent in their previous reign.

Both sides play this game and it comes about every six to eight years, which is the typical time it takes for you voters to come to a boil and make a change in leadership. But, do you really think that such radical minority legislation will succeed in a miraculous bi-partisan effort here-to-for not seen? Nah, of course not. The payoff is in the good press they get. It's an opportunity to step onto the soap box and say, "Oh, if it were not for those (fill in the name) now in the majority we could have done such great things! Look what we've proposed and they blocked!"

If all works as it should, the demographics begin to change and edge back to the favor of the outcasts in the next big election cycle. They (both sides) count on voters having short memories, and I think they must be right... after all, we've rarely held either party accountable for some political faux paux that's more than 6 months old. We just move on and out attention becomes focused on the current crisis du jour.

Truism: The bigger the issues, the louder the rhetoric and the more sweeping the electoral change. But, the hard reality based on passed performance says, no real GOOD ever seems to come with it after the election dust has settled. If something good does appear on a Congressional agenda, it's a safe bet it will die an early death in committee or it will get compromised away until it becomes a mediocre gesture; meaning it does next to nothing, costs a lot and adds to the red tape....this is called incrementalism and it's edging us closer to the abyss, albeit so slowly nobody seems to notice.

Part of the rules of this fools game says the new majority party should throw the voter a bone for their support. This usually comes in the form of some partisan grand standing, then it's back to business usual. Remember when the GOP had their "Contract with America" and now look, the DNC have the "First 100 hours". Big deal! Better we, "Judge them by what they do, not what they say". Ironically somebody in government said that, sorry I forget who. But, the fact is, opportunities abound to pass REAL beneficial legislation, if it were not for the gridlock and compromise that comes from a two party system at war with each other. The resulting games undercut nearly every good idea either side every thought up! Just think of what our (mostly, but certainly not all) intelligent representatives could accomplish IF they could get passed their own party constraints and work for the national good.

Merely saying our system is a Republic with fair and equal representation for it's citizens does not make one. As in the quote above goes, "We are what we do" and by now most Americans are beginning to view both party's with a jaded eye. We see their failures and failings, but we are loath to take much action to change it, because (and this is just my humble opinion) we've lost our own vision of what a real democracy ought to be. It's no wonder either, we've not had a true representative democracy in such a long time.

Maybe, it's time for this two party system to tossed in favor of a three or four party system? It would generate more competition and it would give "we the people" a bigger arena of ideas wouldn't it? Or perhaps no party's at all, let the candidates run on their own merits as independants! Now there's a concept. I wonder how many would fall by the way-side without the big power brokers behind them? Probably only the ones that need to fall?

I think if we are ever to work our way out of this mess it's going to rest on some compelling reason for the two party system to do better...exactly what form that will take remains to be seen. Until such time that change is made, I would like to offer up an opening prayer for Congress and it would go something like this... "Oh Lord in your infinite wisdom, mercy ....we beseech you, send us honest patriots that care less about power and self-interest than they do about our national interest and keeping their election promises! For this is our hour of greatest need and we are knee deep in hypocrisy, corruption and rhetoric and we could sure use a break. So Lord, please send us some real leaders and may the rest of the bums be tossed out on the scrap heap of history. Amen".

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:44 AM | Comments (11)

January 20, 2007

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. Socrates

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)

Republicans Go For It

by Tina Grazier

Those guys! Now that they have no power to speak of, good ideas are popping up like pop tarts on the first day of school. The Patriot Post reports four new bills that republican legislators are proposing:

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) seeks co-sponsors for his Sunlight Act (HR 170), which would require greater transparency in the legislative process.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) will introduce the Tax Code Termination Act, which would sunset the entire federal tax code in 2010 and require the implementation of an entirely new code. If only!

Rep. John Carter (R-TX) introduced legislation to prevent the Social Security Administration from paying benefits on unauthorized or illegal work.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) introduced the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act, which would make permanent the $10,000 child-adoption tax credit, set to expire in 2010.

Way to go guys...

Sooner would have been better. I can't help thinking these are the kind of bills that are proposed just to refer back to at election time...the "we tried and they voted against it" bills that no one expects will pass but "sure will make us look good to the voters."

Tell you what guys...get one of them to the floor and get it passed and then we'll think about offering kudos ...and VOTES. And by the way, my preference would be the "Tax Code Termination Act" just in case you're truly interested. Pass that one and the "Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act" would be unnecessary...in fact a lot of bills would be unnecesary.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:26 PM | Comments (2)

January 19, 2007

Community park vandalism cost could reach $30,000

By E-R Staff and posted by Jack Lee
Article Launched: 01/19/2007 03:01:52 PM PST

Vandalism done Thursday night to the bathrooms and tennis court area at Community Park could cost up to $30,000 to fix. The bathrooms will be closed for a week, according to Frank Savage, a supervisor at the Chico Area Recreation and Park District. He said damage included metal stalls ripped from the walls, and dented sinks and toilets.

Metal awnings over benches next to three tennis courts were ripped from their supports. Savage said awnings slightly damaged playing surfaces when they hit the ground, but the courts are still playable.

Police were called to the park by a neighbor at 8:44 p.m. and quickly arrested two of the three juveniles suspected of inflicting the damage.

Both of those under arrest are 17-year-old white males from Chico.

OK...Time to sue some parents and I am not one of those who sues at the drop of a hat! The people of Chico deserve a financial judgement against the parents and the children, unfortunately the law does not allow us to sue the kids too. I just wish such errant parents could join their little monsters behind bars.

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)

"Necessity hath no law. Feigned necessities, imaginary necessities É are the greatest cozenage that men can put upon the Providence of God, and make pretences to break known rules by." Oliver Cromwell 1599 - 1658

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)

College Grads Get "Big Fat F" in Civics

Contributed by Tina Grazier...

"Not only do American high schools fail to educate students about U.S. history and civics, but by the time many students finish college they know even less. That's the conclusion of 'the largest statistically valid survey ever conducted to determine what colleges and universities are teaching their students about America's history and institutions.' That study, conducted for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute by the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy, surveyed 14,094 college freshmen and seniors at 50 U.S. colleges and universities from Massachusetts to California. It found a stunning ignorance. Seniors scored an average of 53.2 on the 60-question civics test.

That's a big, fat F. More than half of college seniors could not identify the correct century in which the Jamestown colony was founded or name the battle that ended the American Revolution. Truly frightening, more than half also did not know that the Bill of Rights forbids the federal government from establishing a national religion. These are college seniors. Among the institutions whose students were surveyed: Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Michigan. It should go without saying that in a republic, civic education is a fundamental necessity. If even our elite college graduates have no idea what the First Amendment does, the country is in trouble." -- New Hampshire Union Leader

Posted by Post Scripts at 05:39 PM | Comments (4)

"It isn't premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married." George Burns

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)

The Truth about Earmarks They Don't Want You to Know

by Jack Lee

Lets talk about earmarks for a moment. This is the new buzz word for government "pork" and I think just about everybody knows what pork means, right? For as long as this government has existed, Congress in some measure has engaged in some "pork" spending for their favorite constituencies, like bridges to nowhere, waterless urinal studies, or even a new Elvis museum.

Thanks to decades of rampant earmark spending, the climate in Washington is such that nobody dare vote against any bill with an earmark. Why> Easy...you will lose your "earmark" when it 's politically advantageous to get it in for your political career. Yes, it's a form of extortion and it's also a sign of personal greed and ambition runamuck. But the bottom line is, uh, well you're paying for the, uh, bottom line.

Last year the estimates for earmarks ran about $25 billion , but insiders say this is just the published number, in fact its really far higher.

In a report by Proffesor Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D., Utt pointed out an alarming growth in earmarkings, "The number of earmarks in five of the 13 annual appropriations bills doubled between fiscal year 1998 and FY 1999." Utt pointed out this growing propensity to micromanage local affairs through pork spending has in effect undermined state and local authority. "Over 1,000 pork-barrel projects are buried in the 13 appropriations bills for FY 1999".

According to the PIG BOOK for 2006, This year’s list of earmarks includes: $13,500,000 for the International Fund for Ireland, which helped finance the World Toilet Summit; $6,435,000 for wood utilization research; $1,000,000 for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative; and $500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, N.C. Spenders of your money stuffed 9,963 pork projects into the 11 appropriations bills.

The 375 worst pork spending projects, totaling $3.4 billion, in this year’s Congressional Pig Book symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples. See the list of pork on the following pages:

From the PIG BOOK

I. AGRICULTURE

The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee was one of the few subcommittees that did not get reorganized. This meant that pork-hungry appropriators knew exactly where to add their pet projects. Usually when seeking information, CAGW gets the cold shoulder from appropriators. This year, the Agricultural Research Service was the spoiler, refusing to release public budget documents. Total agriculture pork in fiscal 2006 was $584 million, or 60 percent more than the fiscal 2005 total of $365 million. The number of projects decreased by 2 percent, from 512 to 502.

$33,907,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $10,000,000 for the Mississippi Conservation Initiative; $5,766,000 for the Wildlife Habitat Management Institute; $1,433,000 for curriculum development at Mississippi Valley State University; $1,389,000 for the Delta Conservation Demonstration Center in Washington County; $936,000 for advanced spatial technologies; $517,000 for aquaculture research; $300,000 for the National Center for Natural Products; $180,000 for natural products research; and $50,000 for cotton ginning research.

$33,360,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $25,000,000 for rural and native villages; $1,300,000 for berry research; $1,099,000 for alternative salmon products; $500,000 for fruit and berry crop trials for rural villages; $443,000 for new crop opportunities; $331,000 for food preparation and marketing research; $300,000 for commercialization of native plant materials; $250,000 for ethnobotany research; $166,000 for salmon quality standards; and $75,000 for seafood waste research.

$17,361,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and in the district of House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-Wis.), including: $8,000,000 for the Nutrient Management Laboratory; $817,000 for urban horticulture; $600,000 for the Babcock Institute; $260,000 for grazing research; $250,000 for cereal crops research; and $30,000 for Great Lakes aquaculture.

$14,085,000 for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Bennett (R-Utah), including: $5,000,000 for the Utah Conservation Initiative; $3,000,000 for the Washington Fields Project; $900,000 for botanical research; $545,000 for advanced computing research and education; and $300,000 for the Oquirrh Institute. According to the Institute’s website, “The Oquirrh Institute was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Institute's mission is to shine early light on public policy dilemmas and establish innovative solutions. The Oquirrh Institute is currently involved in four areas of concentration: Moving to Competency-Measured Education, Improving Environmental Management, Advancing Health Information and Research and Enhancing Governance Through Technology.� According to USDA testimony, “The principal researchers have not yet determined a completion date on this project.� A total of $500 has been raised from corporations and foundations. Taxpayers have “contributed� $550,000 to Oquirrh since 2004.

$13,274,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including: $3,000,000 for the Animal Waste Management Research Laboratory; $843,000 for health education leadership; $760,000 for new crop opportunities; $645,000 for advanced genetic technologies research; $516,000 for Western Kentucky University ($396,000 to monitor the water quality and biological diversity of the Green River Watershed and $120,000 for waste management research); and $120,000 for improved forage and livestock production at Sen. McConnell’s alma mater, the University of Kentucky.

$10,995,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), including: $4,500,000 for the Geographic Information System Center of Excellence at West Virginia University; $2,045,000 for the Appalachian Fruit Laboratory in Kearneysville; $860,000 for the Appalachian Small Farmer Outreach Program; $750,000 for multiflora rose control; $690,000 for agriculture waste utilization research; $180,000 for turfgrass research; $160,000 for poultry litter composting; and $160,000 for feed efficiency research. According to USDA testimony, the feed efficiency project was supposed to be completed in 2005, and the research was being conducted at the West Virginia University Performance Bull Testing Facility in Wardensville. Now, that’s appropriate!

$6,435,000 for wood utilization research in Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Mich., Minn., Miss., N.C., Ore., Tenn., Wash., and W.Va. Since 1985, $86 million has been sapped from the taxpayers for this purpose.

$4,200,000 for shrimp aquaculture research in Ariz., Hawaii, La., Mass., Miss., S.C., and Texas. According to USDA testimony, “The goal of this program is to develop a sustainable domestic shrimp farming industry in the United States.� The timeline for this program appears to be indefinite. Since 1985, $65.7 million has been appropriated for this research.

$2,100,000 for the viticulture consortium in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. According to USDA testimony, “The original goal of this research was to maintain or enhance the competitiveness of the United States viticulture and wine industry in the global market.�

$500,000 for apple fire blight research in Michigan and New York. According to USDA testimony in March 2005, “The anticipated date of completion of the original objectives was 2000, however, the original objectives have not been accomplished. The principal investigators estimate that an additional five years will be needed to accomplish the original objectives. The estimated completion date is 2005.� Since 1997, $4.2 million has been appropriated for this research. This project has already taken two bites of the taxpayers’ apple, and that’s more than enough.

$365,000 added by the Senate for the Center for Rural Studies in the state of Senate appropriator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). According to USDA testimony, “The original goal was to create a database and analytical capability for rural development programming in Vermont.� However, USDA also testified that, “No formal evaluation of this project has been conducted.� Oops! Since 1992, $2 million has been appropriated for this research.

$359,000 for organic cropping research in Washington. There is no documentation of any non-federal or private funds. According to a 2004 survey by the Organic Trade Association, “U.S. organic food sales have grown between 17 and 21 percent each year since 1997, to nearly triple in sales, while total U.S. food sales over this time period have grown in the range of only 2 to 4 percent a year. According to the findings, organic food sales now represent approximately 2 percent of U.S. food sales.�

$352,000 for floriculture research in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). The USDA has estimated that out-of-state sales of Hawaiian floriculture reached $97 million in 2003. According to USDA officials, “The principal researchers have not determined a completion date for the work on this project.� Since 1989, $5 million has been appropriated for this research.

$273,000 added by the House for urban market development in New York. According to USDA testimony, Cornell University proposes “to implement ‘Garden Mosaics,’ a community gardens program through which youth, educators, and adult gardeners conduct investigations of food-growing practices drawn from a diversity of cultures, and explore the science principles underlying these practices.� Since 2003, $620,000 has been appropriated for this project.

$244,000 added by the Senate for range improvement research in the state of Senate appropriator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.). According to USDA testimony, “The focus of the project is the livestock grazing industry in New Mexico…The principal researchers anticipate the work to be completed in 2005.� Apparently, this research will be continuing until the cows come home.

$234,000 for the National Wild Turkey Federation. According to the organization’s website, “In 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in Fredericksburg, Va. At that time, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Shortly after its founding, the NWTF moved to Edgefield, S.C., where it is headquartered today. Thanks to the work of federal, state and provincial wildlife agencies and the NWTF's many volunteers and partners, there are now close to 7 million wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters.� According to USDA testimony, “The project builds on the Federation’s longstanding public education program that reaches approximately 250,000 citizens annually. The project goal, to be accomplished by targeting nontraditional audiences, is to increase participation by these groups in outdoor activities, including, hunting, and thereby contributing to a more healthy lifestyle for the individuals…�

$211,000 for tropical aquaculture in Florida. According to USDA testimony, “The original goal of the research project was to improve culture and transportation techniques for the commercial tropical aquaculture industry in Florida. Accomplishments include: a previously undomesticated high-value ornamental fish has recently been bred in captivity…� Since 2000, $1.2 million has been appropriated for this research.

$179,000 added by the House for hydroponic tomato production research in the districts of House appropriator Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) and House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). According to USDA testimony, “The anticipated completion date for this research was fiscal year 2002; the original objectives were met. The anticipated completion date for the new objectives for this project initiated in 2003 is fiscal 2005. No additional or related objectives have been identified.� Since 1998, $1.2 million has been appropriated for this research.

II. DEFENSE

Efficient and effective operation of the Department of Defense (DOD) is critical to ensuring the security of our nation and the safety of our troops. While American military forces fight for peace and democracy in the Middle East, Pentagon officials at home struggle to create a lean, mean, war-fighting machine; but so far, appropriators are winning too many battles. From fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2006, the number of pork-barrel projects jumped 8 percent from 2,606 to 2,822, while the total cost went up 17 percent, from $12.7 billion to $14.9 billion.

$591,017,000 added in conference for eight additional C-130J aircraft. A February 2005 Associated Press article noted, “A 2004 report from the office of the inspector general of the Department of Defense rated the J model unsatisfactory and cited deficiencies in, among other things, its defensive systems.�

$360,295,000 for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $22,000,000 for Maui Space Surveillance System operations and research; $21,650,000 for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network; $17,000,000 for the digitization of DOD manuals; $6,000,000 for the Center of Excellence in Research and Ocean Sciences; $4,000,000 for the Center of Excellence for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance; $3,400,000 for the Hickam Air Force Base Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program; $2,500,000 for a small business pilot program to re-engineer the DOD vendor payment process; $2,000,000 for small business development and transition; $1,000,000 for methane desalination systems; $500,000 for porous silicon research; and $500,000 for the Hawaii Wireless Interoperability Network.

$92,425,000 for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $17,000,000 for utility repairs ($8,500,00 at Fort Wainwright and $8,500,00 at Eielson Air Force Base); $15,100,000 for Allen Army Airfield upgrades; $12,800,000 for Alaska land mobile radios; $8,500,000 for the Port of Anchorage Intermodal Marine Facility Project; $3,400,000 for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), which was initially designed to capture energy from the aurora borealis [northern lights], but is now being configured to heat up the ionosphere to improve military communications (CAGW has identified $105.9 million appropriated for HAARP since 1995); $2,000,000 for a track relocation study at Fort Wainwright; and $500,000 for the Arctic Winter Games. According to the winter games website, “The Arctic Winter Games is a high profile circumpolar sport competition for northern and arctic athletes. The Games provide an opportunity to strengthen sport development in the participants’ jurisdictions, to promote the benefits of sport, to build partnerships, and to promote culture and values. The Games celebrate sport, social exchange and cultures. The Games provide an opportunity for the developing athlete to compete in friendly competition while sharing cultural values from northern regions around the world.�

$50,720,000 added for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House appropriators Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) and Anne Northup (R-Ky.), including: $8,400,000 for the Phalanx SeaRam; $2,800,000 for biometrics signature research; $2,520,000 for the Kentucky National Guard Counterdrug and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; and $1,000,000 for crossroad cluster communities at Fort Knox.

$32,800,000 added for projects in the state of House appropriators Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), including: $7,000,000 for the Future Tactical Truck System; $7,000,000 for the Modular Causeway System; and $1,000,000 for the Gaming-Technology Software Initiative.

$28,950,000 added by the Senate for projects in the state of Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.): $26,350,000 for a facility restoration plan at the Allegheny Ballistics Lab and $2,600,000 for the West Virginia National Guard for drug interdiction and counter-drug activities. The Allegheny Ballistics Center is located at the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Flexible Manufacturing.

$8,270,000 for breath alcohol testing equipment, including $7,270,000 for Breathscan® alcohol detectors and $1,000,000 for autonomous non-invasive alcohol testing.

$5,600,000 added by the House for the Gallo Center. According to its website, “The Ernest Gallo Clinic & Research Center (EGCRC) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) was established in 1980 to study basic neuroscience and the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on the brain.� There is no mention of any defense-related research. Apparently, they will serve no pork before its time.

$4,000,000 for the Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal (BMOT). Last year, CAGW noted that BMOT was the new home of Royal Caribbean cruise ships and was used as a location for the film “A Beautiful Mind� and HBO’s television series “Oz.� In 2005, the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Agency, the governing entity of BMOT, bragged that it was “the proud recipient of the New Jersey Planning Officials (NJPO) 2005 ‘Achievement in Planning Award’ and New Jersey Future 2005 ‘Smart Growth Award.’�

$4,000,000 added by the House for the Toledo Shipyard Improvement Plan in the district of House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). According to The Toledo Blade, the shipyard was scheduled to close on October 31, 2005. The paper noted, “Despite millions of dollars in pledged public aid for modernizations and upgrades, the Toledo Shipyard's operator has indicated that it will pull anchor by the end of October, costing the area about 70 jobs.� Business at the shipyard has been waning over the last 20 years.

$2,500,000 for out-of-this-world appropriations in California; $1,500,000 for the Allen Telescope array and $1,000,000 for the Griffith Observatory Planetarium. While the Allen Telescope Array will look for extraterrestrial life, the newly renovated Griffith observatory will showcase American accomplishments in space. There are no exhibits yet planned on how DOD will defend the world against aliens.

$1,000,000 for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative added by Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.). According to a October 20, 2005 CongressDaily article, Rep. Ehlers wrote a letter to House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman C.W. (Bill) Young (R-Fla.) requesting this earmark.

$1,000,000 added by the House for the already-closed Philadelphia Navy Yard. At the September 2004 announcement of a $2 billion plan for the Navy Yard, Philadelphia Mayor John Street said, “The Plan builds on the Navy Yard’s history as an industrial site and defines an exciting mix of office, research, commercial, and residential development including a new marina district and extension of the Broad Street Subway to access the Yard as part of a new Philadelphia waterfront neighborhood that will result in as many as 30,000 jobs at the 1,200-acre site. The Navy Master Plan is a centerpiece of the Mayor’s New River City proposal, which calls for coordinated development of the City’s entire 38 miles of waterfront.�

$1,000,000 added by the Senate for a competency-based distance education initiative with Western Governors University in the state of Senate appropriator Robert Bennett (R-Utah). This school is a private university that only gained accreditation in 2003. A close examination of their website does not reveal any defense-related missions.

$500,000 added in conference for the Translational Genomics Research Institute in the district of House appropriator Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.). According to the Institute’s website, “The vision of the Translational Genomics Research Institute is a world where genomic discoveries can be rapidly translated to the diagnosis and treatment of disease in a manner tailored to the individual.� There is no mention as to why they receive money from the Department of Defense.

III. ENERGY AND WATER

Hurricane Katrina exposed the truth about congressional appropriators. Instead of fully funding high-priority levees and flood control projects, appropriators have chosen to fund their own pet projects across the country, and even within the Gulf States. The 942 projects included in this bill will receive $1.6 billion in 2006, a 16 percent decrease from the $1.9 billion in fiscal 2005.

$100,327,000, a 56 percent increase from fiscal year 2005, for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and the district of House appropriator Rodney Alexander (R-La.) including: $13,500,000 for the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway; $11,250,000 for the Inner Harbor Canal Lock, which has been deemed ineffective because of changing water traffic patterns; $2,250,000 for Mississippi River Outlets in Venice; $1,170,000 for Barartaria Bay; $500,000 for the Louisiana State University Sugar-Based Ethanol Project; $442,000 for Lake Providence Harbor; $400,000 for Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise Program at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette; $375,000 for Ascension Parish environmental infrastructure; $172,000 for Mississippi River Ship Channel; and $77,000 for Madison Parish Port. One would assume that the increase in Louisiana earmarks could be attributed to Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the majority of projects added by the appropriations committee do not concern flood control or the reparation of destroyed levees. For example, 13.4 percent of total Louisiana pork, or $13,500,000, was allocated to one project, the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, even though it is only used by 4 percent of Louisiana’s commercial traffic. And, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, the waterway’s costs will not be justified until 2046.

$83,500,000 for projects at the Yazoo Basin in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including: $25,000,000 for miscellaneous water sources in the Yazoo Basin; $22,000,000 for the Delta Headwaters Project; and $20,000,000 for the backwater pumping plants. Yazoo Basin projects are receiving 63.3 percent more than the state of Mississippi received from the entire Energy and Water bill in fiscal year 2005 and have exceeded the President’s fiscal 2006 budget request of $28,920,00 by 188 percent.

$79,745,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $14,300,000 for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas ($5,000,000 to study the deep burn-up of nuclear fuel and other fuel cycle research, $3,400,000 for the study of hydrogen fuel cell and storage, $3,400,000 to research the solar-powered thermo-chemical production of hydrogen, and $2,500,000 for photonics research and the evaluation of advanced fiber optics for hybrid solar lighting); $3,400,000 for the National Center on Energy Management and Building Technology; $3,500,000 for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s virtual- site office; $2,500,000 for Altair Nanotech; $1,000,000 for materials reliability at the University of Nevada- Reno Center; and $250,000 for the Mojave Bird Study. Due to previous concerns regarding the safety of birds in the area, an environmental impact report, released in July of 2004, revealed that the death toll on red-tailed hawks and other bird species in the area would be minimal following the construction of a wind farm. According to an article published by Judith Lewis in LA Weekly, the local Audubon groups that led the attack on the Pine Tree Wind Farm offered to pay for a meticulous study that would focus specifically on the songbirds. However, the government insisted on conducting their own study using taxpayer dollars to fund the project.

$56,078,000 added by the Senate in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including: $11,650,000 for construction of the Santa Ana River Mainstem; $10,000,000 for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Project; $7,000,000 for the UCLA Institute for Molecular Medicine; $3,000,000 for the American River Watershed; $3,000,000 for the San Ramon Valley Recycled Water Project; $2,900,000 for regional wetlands in Lake Tahoe; $1,440,000 for the San Francisco Bay Long-Term Management Study; $1,250,000 for the Long Beach Desalination Project; $1,000,000 for the Sacramento River Division Study; $1,000,000 for a water reclamation project in Orange County; $500,000 for the Arnold Palmer Prostate Center; $400,000 for the California Hydrogen Infrastructure Project; and $300,000 for Surfside-Sunset and Newport beaches. Senator Feinstein told reporters, “The problem with earmarks is they’re put in in the dark of night and they are unknown. I recognize that earmarks have been abused.� Fifty-six million dollars later, the other side of her mouth is probably singing a different tune.

$53,730,000 for projects in the state of Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), including: $11,000,000 for the Mind Institute; $9,076,000 for the Middle Rio Grande Project; $5,000,000 for New Mexico environmental infrastructure; $4,000,000 for the Rio Grande Bosque rehabilitation; $3,500,000 for the nuclear energy materials test station at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center; and $1,000,000 for the Navajo electrification process.

$17,500,000 for projects in the district of House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Hobson (R-Ohio), including: $13,000,000 for Ohio environmental infrastructure; $3,000,000 for the NextEdge Technical Park in Springfield; $1,500,000 for the Springfield Equestrian Center Energy Efficiency Project; and $1,000,000 for the Ohio State University 4-H Green Building Project. Representative Hobson told CQ Today that lawmakers’ resistance to the energy budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration “may be a little bit of a problem. I totally agree with all the goals. I just have to make sure we spend the money in the right places and that we don’t damage good programs that are already out there.�

IV. FOREIGN OPERATIONS

The U.S. government continues to dig deep into the taxpayers’ pockets to help those affected by natural disasters and disease and to assist economically unstable countries. Yet Congress insists on wasting money that could be used to fund more worthwhile projects around the world. However, there is a silver lining. Foreign Operations Appropriations pork spending decreased 77 percent, from $473.9 million in fiscal year 2005 to $107.7 million in fiscal year 2006.

$13,500,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), which has released a five-year strategy focusing on grassroots reconciliation and cross-community projects such as: the construction of Creggan Community Café and Catering Ltd., the Newcastle YMCA, the Donegal Town Waterbus, the Leitrim Food Center of Excellence, the Chef Development Program, and funding toward the World Toilet Summit. Could there be a better example of the government flushing away your money?

$3,000,000 for the Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability (FESS), which addresses environmental concerns around the world. Though the program received funding from the USAID budget for the last five years, it has shown little progress. The two most recent projects, performed in February and May of 2005, were pilot country studies in Uganda and the Dominican Republic. It appears that unused funding is reallocated to FESS affiliate programs at the University of Mississippi and Tulane Law School.

$2,300,000 for the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in the state of Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the district of House appropriator Robert Cramer (D-Ala.). This is the ninth year that Congress has funded this program, and this year spending jumped 26 percent from $1,702,000 in fiscal year 2005. The IFDC seeks to augment agricultural activity using environmentally friendly means. An October 2005 press release from the IFDC was titled: “There is Money in the Soil and Djaka Kope Farmers Want It.� Perhaps in the future, Congress and the IFDC should look in the soil for funding rather than in taxpayers’ pockets.

V. HOMELAND SECURITY

Spending on projects was on the rise in the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. As the need remains for a secure America, appropriators continued to fund projects that were not requested by the administration. While the number of projects in the bill decreased by 45 percent from 64 in fiscal 2005 to 35 in fiscal 2006, spending increased 57 percent, from $1.7 billion to $2.7 billion.

$175,000,000 added by the House for the port security grants. The program, established in 2002, allows port authorities and private companies to apply for federal funding to improve physical security at U.S. ports. After going through the application process, recipients are expected to use the grants for dockside and perimeter security. However, an audit performed by the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that a number of the grants, “appeared to be for a purpose other than security against an act of terrorism.� According to the report, though 80 percent of international commerce goes through only 10 ports, the grant program for fiscal 2005 provided substantial funding to 79 ports. The audit report pins the majority of the blame on the department and reveals that many of the grants are pushed through even when the applications fail to demonstrate need.

$78,631,000 added for general provisions for the 100 foot Island Class Patrol Boat. These boats are currently being used by the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce immigration and drug laws. According to the 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act House report and an article published by Sea Power, the effectiveness of these boats has been in decline since 2001. As maintenance costs for emergency repairs continue to rise, so do the contributions from taxpayers.

$40,000,000 added by the Senate for the Real ID Grant Program. Passed in May 2005, the Real ID Act for the first time set federal standards for authenticating and securing state-issued driver’s licenses. DHS has two options: allow states to use inexpensive, protected technology, or force them to embed costly, personally intrusive brittle computer chips. Whichever alternative is used, the new system will place a heavy burden on state and local governments, especially departments of motor vehicles, as well as on taxpayers and drivers.

$10,000,000 added by the House for the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, which is meant to improve driver protection, passenger screening, tracking and communication between buses, and overall security assessment. While the individual grants continue to fund profitable companies, such as Coach and Greyhound, the most ridiculous grant in fiscal 2005 was $46,908 for Hampton Jitney, Inc. The Jitney is known primarily for shuttling wealthy New Yorkers to their summer homes in the Hamptons. The company has recently added a limousine service that promises “a custom tailored limousine ride for an unforgettable day.�

$10,000,000 added by the House for the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium. This program was created by Congress to guarantee that citizens living in rural areas were equally protected. There is a marked lack of urgency, however, as there continues to be no report detailing current or future plans for the project.

VI. INTERIOR

The fiscal 2006 Interior Appropriations Act is similar to its predecessors, with the addition of funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. One of most recognizable agencies in this bill is the National Park Service (NPS), a.k.a. “the National Pork Service.� In March 2005, the Congressional Research Service cited $9.7 billion worth of maintenance backlogged at national parks. That didn’t stop appropriators from adding $136 million in pork for the NPS. Total pork for the Interior bill was $669.5 million dispersed among 737 projects.

$47,326,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $12,733,000 for Western Arctic Parklands; $7,000,000 for Alaska conveyance; $4,000,000 for a visitors center at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge; $1,100,000 for the Matunuska-Susitna Borough; $750,000 for the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park; $450,000 for the Bering Sea Fisherman’s Association; $400,000 for the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center; $150,000 for the Alaska Whaling Commission; and $98,000 for the Alaska Sea Otter Commission.

$31,720,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), including: $6,000,000 for the Blackfoot River Community Project in the Helena and Lolo National Forests; $3,000,000 for land acquisition in Swan Valley, Flathead National Forest; $1,500,000 for the Salish and Kootenai College Information Technology Program; $1,000,000 for an air quality improvement program in Lincoln County; $400,000 for the Carnegie Library building in Missoula (As part of their private fundraising, “All donors making gifts of $5,000 and above will be included in a donor recognition wall, most likely located in the Grand Foyer.�); and $150,000 for the Anaconda-Deer Lodge Courthouse.

$17,577,000 for projects in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and the district of House appropriator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), including: $2,000,000 for wastewater system rehabilitation for the West Rankin Water Authority; $1,000,000 for the Delta Interpretive Center; $1,000,000 for Smith County Lake; $900,000 for the Center for Marine Resources; $500,000 for a regional wastewater program in DeSoto County; $225,000 for the Hinds County Courthouse; and $100,000 for the Ocean Springs Community Center.

$13,950,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Robert Bennett (R-Utah), including: $4,000,000 for the Utah Public Lands Artifact Preservation Act; $1,500,000 for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail; $750,000 for the Range Creek/Rainbow Glass Ranch; $500,000 for a wastewater treatment plant in Eagle Mountain; and $300,000 for wastewater infrastructure improvements for Judge Tunnel in Park City.

$10,900,000 for projects in the state of Senate appropriator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $3,700,000 for land acquisition at Haleakala National Park; $3,400,000 for the Wao Kele o Puna rain forest (In a letter to legislators, the president of Malama O Puna, a Hawaii nonprofit environmental group, urged that federal money be spent on the project: “On behalf of all our members, the birds who cannot speak for themselves, and generations yet to come, I thank you for your staunch support.�); $600,000 for the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program; and $450,000 for water monitoring.

$6,950,000 for projects in the state of Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Larry Craig (R-Idaho), including: $1,500,000 for land acquisition at Upper Snake/South Fork Snake River; $1,000,000 for land acquisition at Thunder Mountain in the Payette National Forest; and $300,000 for the University of Idaho Mica Creek study. According to the University of Idaho, “The Mica Creek Experimental Watershed is a paired and nested catchment study basin, privately operated by Potlatch Corporation.� According to its website, Potlatch is “a diversified forest products company with 1.5 million acres of timberland and 4,000 employees in the United States,� with $1.35 billion in net sales in 2004.

$4,500,000 for the Katahdin Iron Works in Maine. This company operated in Maine between 1843 and 1890. According to Mainerec.com, “Although isolated, it was tied closely to outside markets and technological advances in the iron industry. Its beginnings, for example, paralleled a growing demand for iron farm tools, machinery and railroad car wheels. In the end, the iron works failed when huge mills in Pennsylvania brought the nation's new age of steel.� According to The Wilderness Society, “The project also features new recreational amenities such as trails, water access points and backcountry facilities that will help bring new visitors to the region.�

$350,000 added by the Senate for the Chicago Greenstreets Program in the state of Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). According to a participant in the program, Moore Landscapes, Inc., “The City of Chicago's Greenstreets Program included the design, installation, and maintenance of over 950 hanging baskets this summer. This newly added feature, overflowing with splashes of vivid color and delicate foliage provide a welcoming touch to the streets of Chicago.�

The National Park Service (NPS) administers the Save America’s Treasures program for “preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites.� NPS explicitly says that “Grants are awarded to Federal, state, local, and tribal government entities, and non-profit organizations through a competitive matching-grant program,…� NPS requested $15,000,000 for the competitive program, and Congress increased that by 112 percent, or $16,750,000, all of which was earmarked and added in conference.

$400,000 for the Kam Wah Chung & Company Museum in John Day, Oregon. The museum is dedicated to the work of two Chinese immigrants, Lung On and Ing “Doc� Hay. Admission to the museum is $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, and $1.50 for students. An estimated 3,000 people visit the museum each year. According to the museum’s website, “Other fund-raising goals the Friends Group has identified include: Acquiring a support building near the Museum to serve as a visitor, education and interpretive center, and to house the Curator's office. To do this, we anticipate the need to raise approximately $40,000 in the next two years.� By this estimate, the federal contribution could support the construction of 10 buildings.

$250,000 for the Stanley Theater in Utica, New York. According to the theater’s website, “Every ticket sold to a Stanley event includes $2 to help pay for the continued restoration of this magnificent showplace. Major funding has also come from the Natural Heritage Trust of the State of New York, the County of Oneida, the City of Utica and many private sources.� Don’t forget Uncle Sam.

$150,000 for the Bulgarian-Macedonian National Education and Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to its website, “The Bulgarian-Macedonian National Educational And Cultural Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995. Its mission is to preserve, perpetuate and present the rich cultural heritage of the Bulgarian and Macedonian people. The BMNECC is projected as a ‘must see’ tourist attraction in the Pittsburgh area in which will be contained both permanent and revolving cultural exhibits and a Performing Arts Center as well as an efficient and attractive Museum, Library and Archives.� We’ll wait for the movie.

$150,000 for the Actors Theater in Louisville, Kentucky, in the district of House appropriator Anne Northup (R-Ky.). Founded in 1964 and designated as the Kentucky State Theater in 1974, the theater’s mission is to provide “insight into the human experience through live theatre that invigorates minds and emotions... We will build a better community by bringing people together to participate in the power of collective imagination.� One of the theater’s productions is called Bad Date, in which “a feisty single mom relocates to the big city, finds a new career and jumps back into the shark-infested dating pool only to find herself on the wrong side of the law…the hilarious and unforgettable story of one woman's love life, her anticipation of (and recovery from) each new date and the fabulous shoe collection that saves her every time!�

VII. LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION (LABOR/HHS)

The 2006 Labor/HHS Appropriations Act is a tale of two bills. On one hand, Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), drew a line in the sand, refusing to add earmarks. Although House appropriators squealed, the result was a 98 percent drop in earmarks, from 3,071 to 51. On the other hand, total pork increased 3 percent, from $1.7 billion in 2005 to $1.75 billion in 2006. Despite the fact that President Bush cut 48 projects from the Department of Education (DoE), appropriators chose to ignore the majority of those cuts, returning funding to 25 of the programs. The DoE received the majority of earmarks in this bill.

$100,000,000 added by the House for the Even Start program. This program was created in 1988 as an attempt to terminate the link between poverty and illiteracy by creating a family literacy course. The DoE has argued that the program’s combination of early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education creates a family dynamic that aids in the learning process. However, DoE’s own studies proved that claim groundless, revealing that no educational discrepancy exists between families that enrolled in the Even Start program and families that did not. Not only is Even Start lacking in educational gains, but it has also failed to track accurately the progress of families that are receiving grants. It does, however, track the number of hours of instruction provided to the grantees. But who has the time to track actual learning when you are busy vying for tens of millions of dollars in federal funding?

$65,643,000 added for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program. The purpose of this program is to award grants to states, which in turn award grants to financially unstable students attending postsecondary institutions. The states are required to match federal spending dollar for dollar. While this program may have been necessary at one time, that time seems to have passed. At the program’s inception in 1972, only 28 states were providing need-based financial grants. However, only two states now fail to provide this need-based program. In most cases, state spending is significantly higher than federal spending. Despite these changes, the statute underlying the program stipulates that states cannot receive less than they received in 1979. This program is a leap, indeed: a leap back 27 years.

$41,000,000 added by the Senate for Byrd Honors Scholarships. The scholarships, named after Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), are meant to encourage secondary school students to excel in their lessons and go on to a postsecondary institution. However, according to Expect More, a program that evaluates the efficiency of government programs, students are given no real incentives, as there are no requirements that must be met or set goals to be achieved. Absent any defined standards, there is no way of knowing whether students who received this aid ever really “qualified� for the “coveted� scholarships. Furthermore, the law of this program does not allow the states to use any funding to determine whether or not the program is succeeding. This program gets an “F,� for failure to set standards and follow up on effectiveness.

$21,750,000 added for the National Writing Project, a program established by Congress and developed by the DoE, which aims to enhance the writing skills of grade school teachers. Approximately 180 sites are scattered across the country in the hopes that teachers will seek training in the art of writing. While the program seeks to increase the effectiveness of teachers, there is no system in place for determining whether or not the teachers’ writing skills have improved. Although studies have been conducted to determine whether or not this program is worthwhile, neither study has compared its results with teachers that did not receive aid from the National Writing Project. Moreover, the National Writing Project can be considered a duplicative project. DoE already spends $3 billion annually on programs meant to “professionally� train teachers to hone their writing skills. Hopefully these teachers learned how to write in college.

$2,000,000 added by the Senate for the Underground Railroad Program. This grant program, receiving consistent funding from Congress for the last seven years, was created to research, collect, interpret, and display artifacts from the Underground Railroad. After reviewing the projected goals, it becomes apparent why it was deemed a low- priority project and cut from the President’s budget. The target goal, set by the Department of Education for fiscal 2005, was to establish a baseline to measure performance. After noting a lack of collected data, the target goal for 2006 is to establish a baseline to measure performance. It is time for this train to stop running.

$980,000 added by the House for B. J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships. This program was created in 1992 to provide financial assistance to Olympic athletes who wish to pursue a postsecondary education. The massive amount of financial assistance available to students at public and private institutions across the country makes this project unnecessary. Furthermore, the only stipulated requirement is that the grantee must be training at one of the United States Olympic Training Centers. There is no incentive for the grantee to improve performance or demonstrate ability in any area other than their specified sport. This is just a hunch, but the appropriations committees will probably not medal in this project.

VIII. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Senate and House appropriators took the opportunity to feed a few of their favorite projects in the fiscal 2006 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. The number of projects decreased by 17 percent, from 17 to 14. The amount of pork dropped 7.2 percent, from $21.3 million in fiscal 2005 to $19.8 million in fiscal 2006.

$5,000,000 added by the Senate to complete the increasingly bloated Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). Since construction began in fall 2001, Congress has continued to pour funding into this monument to excess and waste. The cost has risen from $265 million to at least $584 million and is running two years behind schedule.

$830,000 for projects added in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.): $430,000 for the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, a federal legislative agency created in 1988 to promote and enhance publi