Hold the Mayo

September 18, 2005

Pork Fat Rules

“Pork Fat Rules.” One of my favorite, in fact my only favorite quote, from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. He uses it in reference to cooking, it applies equally well to politics.

The call has gone out to trim the fat from the federal budget to cover the cost of Katrina rebuilding. I'd be tempted to name it something like the Tom Delay Cluelessness Challenge but over at NZ Bear its called “Pork Busters.” Identify pork spending in your state and call then out on it. make Tom Delay eat his words.

A good place to start is the transportation bill. For a state by state rundown of set-asides in the bill go here.

Here's a plattger of Connecticut pork. I didn't pass judgement on a large number of road projects because I don't know enough about them. I just went for the real obvious crap.

$1.7 million; North Canaan; Rebuild and conversion of Union Station.

They want to rebuild it and convert it into a transportation museum.

$380,000; Improve Groton Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails.

Let Groton improve their own damn bike path. If the people of Groton want it approved, they should foot the bill.

$1 million; Wallingford; Construct Quinnipiace Linear Trail.

I have no idea what this, but it sure smells like pork to me.

$1 million: Shelton; Build bike and pedestrian path.

Bike path or Katrina rebuilding? Not reallyk a tough question.

$1.5 million; West Haven; Street and streetscape improvements along Campbell Ave.

Streetscape improvements? let New Haven pay for its own trees on the sidewalk.

That's about $5.6 million without even trying.

I also have strong doubts about this:

$10 million: Bridgeport; Build new arterial road from Boston Ave. to proposed Lake Success Business Park.

So if they spend $10 million to build this road and the proposed project doesn't happen, Bridgeport has a $10 million road to nowhere that could have helped rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Smells like pork to me.

So that brings us to $15.6 million. A drop in the bucket I know but remember I came up with that without working very hard.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 03:12 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment

1 Stephen - Great idea, but looks like the number you entered into the TLB database got mangled somewhere along the way. It now reads as "$17". Yes, that's three bucks less than an Andy Johnson. Might want to fix that.

http://www.truthlaidbear.com/porkdetails.php?id=16

Posted by: Pseudolus at September 18, 2005 03:26 PM (pVy1E)

2 Yeah, I saw that and emailed them, It has been corrected.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at September 18, 2005 03:31 PM (ics4u)

3 I am Bridgeport born and bred and I have no idea of what "Lake Success" is. My guess is that's it a pond somewhere on the Pequanoque River where there's a proposed "business park".

My next guess is that it's in a semi-remote part of town and, therefore, ripe for developing.

If it's good for Bridgeport -- (and I have no opinion on whether it is or isn't) -- then Bridgeport can fund it. If Bridgeport can't afford to be without it then Bridgeport can, yes, CAN, afford to pay for it. If not then Bridgeport will afford to do without it.

Some federally funded projects are good and wise, but seem wasteful, arbitrary and thoughtless. States must bear their own burdens as much as they can. The rest of us will chime in with help when we see fit.

Does that mean that a "poor" state will always be poor and a "rich" state will always be free to bask in it's rediculous riches?
No. All it means is that a "poor" state recognizes where nature ends and charity begins, and not to expect that other people owe them something just because they lack something.

I hope that made sense...

Posted by: Tuning Spork at September 18, 2005 04:04 PM (nr5hy)

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