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Pass the pork, please

From the Bluegrass Institute

(Bowling Green, Kentucky) – The destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina has opened a floodgate of sympathy and support from individuals across the United States. A growing number of people are urging Congress to eliminate egregious earmarks included in the $295 billion Highway Bill and redirect funds to assist in hurricane-relief efforts.

The Highway Bill includes 6,373 earmarks, including the outrageous decision to allocate $223 million to build a bridge to an island with 50 inhabitants in Alaska. There are even funds to construct a replica slave ship (a form of transportation, right?) in Virginia.

The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina has made many people realize that federal funds can be put to better use. Some members of Congress support eliminating projects designated for their districts and using the funds for hurricane relief instead. For example, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., supports giving up $70 million of the $129 million that was included in the Highway Bill for her district.

Like most states, Kentucky has many projects that are a questionable use of federal funds. More than $370 million worth of earmarks for the Bluegrass State were included in the federal Highway Bill. Among some of the most questionable projects are:

• $38 million for the 21st Century Parks Project in Louisville

• $30 million for a riverfront development project in Owensboro.

• $28 million to Northern Bypass of Somerset and I-66 to I-75 in London

• $10.2 million for a riverfront development project in Ashland

• $10 million for a riverfront development project in Henderson

“We urge Kentucky’s congressional delegation in Washington to free up funds for the Katrina relief effort by refusing to accept pork-laden projects,” said Chris Derry, president of the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky’s free-market think tank. “The hurricane tragedy should be an eye opener that shows Congress has more important priorities than distributing pork.”

For interview information, contact Jim Waters, Director of Policy and

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