Editor,
I understand that a number of United States senators are willing to give up their annual pay raise in order to do their part to save the government some money in light of the Iraqi reconstruction, Hurricane Katrina and the outlandish budget deficit.
I find this extremely hypocritical, in that they are only doing it to put up a caring front for the American public to see.
If these political hypocrites were sincere about cutting costs, they would not only forego their pay raise, but they would slash their pork barrel projects down to the bare bones. Their pay raise will only save some $2 million, when they are looking for $50 billion in savings to offset the funds needed in connection with the Gulf Coast hurricane devastation.
In scanning through the 2005 Congressional Pig Book Summary, I noted that pork barrel spending has increased from $10 billion in 1995 to $27.3 billion in 2005. The pork spending for 2005 amounts to approximately $27.3 billion - a 19 percent increase from 2004 and up 21 percent from 2003.
There are nearly 14,000 pork barrel projects stuffed in the 13 appropriations bills. In the last two years, the number of such projects has increased by half.
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The top three increases in pork from 2004 to 2005 were part of appropriations for Homeland Security, Energy and Water and Labor, Health and Human Services.
A few examples of the pork projects involved are: $1.79 million for berry research in Alaska, $358,000 for seed research in Alaska, $150,000 for turf grass research in West Virginia, $6.29 million for wood utilization research in Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia, and $20 million for the Bonneau Ferry in South Carolina.
The House of Representatives added $14 million for a covert surveillance aircraft for the Coast Guard in spite of the fact that the Coast Guard did not plan on buying new planes until 2016.
The Department of Homeland Security requested for its Fellowship Program - in which, in 2003, 101 students participated but only two were hired - $10 million in 2004, but received $70 million. In 2005, the department requested $30 million, but received $70 million.
In New Mexico, $66.6 million in pork was allocated for various projects.
The list is endless, but worth reading. Interested taxpayers should visit the Web site truthlaidbear.com and click on porkbusters.
Rest assured, you will get an eyeful.
Nahum Castillo
Daily Lobo reader
