Do you have any "pork-barrel" projects in your community courtesy of your congressman?

Question

Akkita, obviously expenditure of public monies to supply firemen (who risk their lives entering smoke-filled buildings) with breathing devises is a completely justified governmental decision. This is assuming that the devises are purchased at normal wholesale or retail prices. And so, of course not, it is not "pork" spending.

Answer 1

Our state congressman got breathing devises for our fire fighters - Is that considered "pork"?

Added details.....It may seem a necessity to many people - it took years to get these funds as our part of the voting district is too small to really matter.
While this was going within 50 miles .....John Murtha, who sits as senior ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, earmarked $2 million to line the coffers back home for a program to train people how to "safeguard America's businesses from threats to their computer systems and databases". The program fizzled =two million taxpayers' dollars were spent and there is nothing to show.
Rep. Murtha's own spokesperson, Cindy Abrams, offered no apology.
1.8 million in taxpayer money to EDO Corporation, an Amityville defense contractor that makes aircraft equipment. The company's political action committee has given $15,000 to Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat of Pennsylvania who is the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense.

Answer 2

Here's why Ted Kennedy is known as the "Father of All Pork-Barrel Spending" -

Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), a megaproject to reroute the Central Artery (Interstate 93), the chief controlled-access highway through the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, into a 3.5 mile (5.6km) tunnel under the city. The project also included the construction of the Ted Williams Tunnel (extending Interstate 90 to Logan International Airport), the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge over the Charles River, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway in the space vacated by the previous I-93 elevated roadway.

The Big Dig is the most expensive highway project in America. Although the project was estimated at $2.5 billion in 1985, over $14.6 billion had been spent in federal and state tax dollars as of 2006. The project has incurred arrests, escalating costs, leaks, poor execution and use of substandard materials. The Massachusetts Attorney General is demanding contractors refund taxpayers $108 million for "shoddy work."

Answer 3

Sadly, yes - in spite of being the largest state in the union (by far!), we only have access to 1% of our total lands. Actually, it's a little less than one percent. Even though we have incredible natural resources, we are a welfare state. We're going to be screwed when "Uncle Ted" retires.

I'm not very proud of it, but I know we're totally screwed if we're stuck depending on the "generosity" of outsiders. Too low of a population to have any sway on a national level. It's depressing as hell.

Answer 4

Our elected employees don't even know where my neighborhood is!

Lots of pork in more populated areas though, including using Federal funds to improve property being sold to their relatives as surplus military.

Nothing in the country can match the Carlyle group though for theft of tax money and war profiteering.

Answer 5

I live within 30 minutes of the Wal-Mart world headquarters..... that's a no brainer for me!

Answer 6

That stuff don't happen in my community!