A map to the stars (of earmarks)
posted at 11:00 am on February 7, 2012 by Jazz Shaw
The Washington Post has melded a few bits of internet technology and produced something both interesting and useful for fiscal hawks this week. Titled, Capitol Assets: Mapping the earmarks, this handy little tool combines previously published news articles on potential earmark corruption with Google Maps to lay out a visual display of some of the worst possible offenders around the nation. It defaults to whichever subject is closest to where you are viewing it from. For example, in my case, it defaults to the soon to be retired Congressman Maurice Hinchey and his Partition Street Project.
In Saugerties, a village in upstate New York, Hinchey in 2005 earmarked $960,000 to upgrade downtown streets. In 2009, he secured $800,000 to overhaul sewer lines. Hinchey is a partner in a hotel development in the heart of the village and values his interest at $250,000 to $500,000. Hinchey’s spokesman said “the congressman has a less than 1 percent stake” in the project and it “is several blocks from the crosswalks and does not connect to the sewer lines set to be repaired …. There is no conflict of interest.”
I don’t know why the Post would want to give me indigestion this early in the day, but that one is certainly a familiar story to me. When I was helping to orchestrate the campaign of his opponent in the 2010 election, we were beating the drums on this story pretty much non-stop. The media, however, took a mysteriously hands off approach to the subject with only one or two exceptions in local outlets. But when the book Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer was published, no less than three different reporters called me to ask if I had any good information on it from our previous battle. (My response was a likely less than charitable bit of grumbling about how it might have been nice if they had displayed that sort of curiosity when Hinchey was still running for office.)
There are plenty of other politicians on the map, though, including an interesting tidbit on $50M in earmarks by Nancy Pelosi.
Over the past decade, the House minority leader helped secure $50 million in earmarks toward a light-rail project that provides direct access to San Francisco’s Union Square and Chinatown for neighborhoods south of Market Street. Pelosi’s husband owns a four-story commercial building blocks from Union Square. These earmarks were reported in the book “Throw Them All Out.” A Pelosi spokesman said the project was requested by community leaders and that the new stations on the line will be farther away from the building than those on the existing line.
There’s plenty more where those came from, so flip through and find the ones closest to your neck of the woods. You never know what might come in handy this summer.
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Notice how few of the flyover states have congress critters asking for those kinds of earmarks?
You look at the central Western states and there is nothing on the map.
OpportunityCost on February 7, 2012 at 11:02 AM
My congressman isn’t on the list.
Should I be disappointed?
///
annoyinglittletwerp on February 7, 2012 at 11:03 AM
What no Santorum Earmarks…Billion dollar pig at the trough?
rubberneck on February 7, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Why do newspapers exist? Why, to sell newspapers, of course.
Except for the Post, which exists to dole out indigestion.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:07 AM
If only we had the “most transparent government evah” . . . wait, oh nevermind.
Mangy Scot on February 7, 2012 at 11:08 AM
This is the current crop of Senate Slugs and Congress Critters. That stuff is History, you’ll have to hunt that information up in the archives.
uhangtight on February 7, 2012 at 11:09 AM
It’s interesting a lot of them are east of the Mississippi, what does that tell us?
Dr Evil on February 7, 2012 at 11:09 AM
WaPo wouldn’t have done this had this not already been done.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:10 AM
What you see are the same states as always porking it up and getting theirs from the rest of the nation’s taxpayers.
I think the faces may have changed, but the States remain the same….
uhangtight on February 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
If only people would educate themselves about earmarks instead of giving themselves over to the ignorant-fueled emotion.
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Where in Ron Paul on this list?
CorporatePiggy on February 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Mine isn’t either.
Dr Evil on February 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
That most of the people live East of the Mississippi.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Then your Congressman isn’t doing his job. How does it feel to have your wealth seized by the federal government and not have your representative voice trying to get it back?
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 11:13 AM
He puts earmarks into legislation for his district, the votes against the legislation. Then he can say he tried to bring home some pork, AND that he voted against pork, depending on whom he’s talking to.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:16 AM
California’s population is on the verge of 38 million, while Texas’ total has just passed 26 million.
This has the stats population numbers state by state.
Dr Evil on February 7, 2012 at 11:16 AM
I kind of like this as direction if Romney is the nominee, he already has enough money and can’t be bought or have the need to direct money his way.
Tater Salad on February 7, 2012 at 11:17 AM
So you think it’s to our benefit that Pelosi has put in earmarks for hundreds of millions of dollars to build train stations near her downtown properties, thereby increasing their value?
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Nonsense. If he wanted to pander on spending, he’d vote for rice subsidies. Those are a helluva lot more important than earmarks to S. Texas.
But beyond that, the answer to the question is “He’s not on that list”.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:19 AM
O, the humanity!
A. Let’s try to stop the seizure of wealth, rather than sidlin’ up to the trough, shall we?
B. 40% of it is borrowed.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:20 AM
. . .Among Paul’s earmarks are boondoggles like $38 million to “encourage parents to read aloud to their children”, $18 million for a light rail study, $4 million for a “Trails and Sidewalks Connectivity Initiative”, $11 million for an ACORN-like “Community-Based Job Training Program”, $2 million for a “clean energy” pilot project, and many, many more.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:21 AM
CorporatePiggy, you can forget them reporting ANYTHING good about Ron Paul on this site. These guys are sold out for the establishment. Half of the guys/gals on this site LOVE Romney who is the same as Obama. The only time you’ll find anything about Ron Paul on here is when it’s smearing him.
air_up_there on February 7, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 11:13 AM
I think Neugebauer is doing an excellent job for my district.
Thanks for your concern.
///
annoyinglittletwerp on February 7, 2012 at 11:22 AM
It is to me.
It is a great train system south of Market (in the land of ruin…)
But the point Dante makes, and one I echo, is that it is the responsibility of Congress to spend that money. They should decide how it gets spent… not the Executive Branch.
And if the political price of that is logrolling and somewhat overlapping train systems… well, at least you can vote them out.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Todd Akin, MO.
And he’s running against Claire Bear.
You can bet this is going to come back to bite him in the rear.
On a completely tangential aside, I once saw Mr. Akin at a museum parking lot. It was quite an unusual sighting and in fact showed him being a “regular” person.
My family and I were at this museum and we were getting ready to leave. As we’re waiting in the parking lot, I see two vehicles pull in, one towing a flatbed trailer with lawn-care equipment. Family piles out and then takes a lot of the smaller equipment on the trailer and stows it inside their minivan (for safe-keeping).
Mr. Akin was in an old, dirty t-shirt and much of his family were similarly dressed. It was obvious they’d just finished doing some yard-work.
I can only guess that they had come to the museum to have a family/friend gathering because as I left I saw him standing by the street corner, looking around, as if waiting for one or more people to show up.
Somehow I cannot see Claire Bear doing something similar.
Logus on February 7, 2012 at 11:23 AM
It helps if you read the article before you comment.
Night Owl on February 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
And committee chairmen inserted them into spending bills, knowing full well Ron Paul would vote against them.
It’s a modern political miracle. Ron Paul has discovered the equivalent of political alchemy… he gets a political benefit, without having to grant a political benefit.
That’s the man I want as my representative.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Lucky for Romney, I guess, that stories on earmarks are making the rounds again at exactly the same time he’s attacking Santorum on past earmarks.
Delta Tango on February 7, 2012 at 11:29 AM
The new proposed legislation outlawing insider-trading by Congress and their staff should include real-estate speculation. I suspect that it doesn’t at this time.
Don’t know who would enforce it though, it almost has to be at the state level.
slickwillie2001 on February 7, 2012 at 11:29 AM
That money would not be spent were it not for congressmen lining up for it with their hands out, the amount to be determined only by their fidelity to party leadership.
“And we’re gonna put another $50 billion in here for earmarks, and divvy it up among those who towed the line.”
So, Ron Paul doesn’t do it, oh wait, he does, but it is therefore a good thing. I get it.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:30 AM
And it figures. You seem to have the same cerebral malfunctions he does.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:32 AM
We elect congressmen to set an example for the rest. I don’t want some pork-barreling SOB slipping earmarks in every bill he can. I want my Rep to fight against seizing wealth, not clawing it back to his district. Remember, “earmarks” are slipped into bigger legislation and aren’t debated. If projects are important for a district, the appropriation should be a stand alone bill to be sent through committee and debated.
cartooner on February 7, 2012 at 11:32 AM
But pork is pork, unless it’s Ron Paul’s pork, right? In the delusional world of the Ron Paul cult, being one of the worst porkbarrelers in congressional history makes him… the only fiscal conservative!
Rebar on February 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM
You forget the MSM motto: “We don’t report it, it didn’t happen!”
GarandFan on February 7, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Plus, JohnGalt, you overlook the fact that these earmarks are often used to enrich the congressmen who allot them. Dennis Hastert bought some farm property. Then he got earmarks for roads near that property. Then he sold it to a developer, and made a handsome profit he would not have made if not for the road he built himself at our expense.
The only thing they are not allowed to do is profit directly and alone, so they form LLC’s and share profit with their partners.
It’s a very tidy, legal means of theft, I tells ya.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Ron Paul? Fidelity to party leadership?
Are we seeing the conundrum yet?
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:41 AM
I have a One-Whose-Name-Cannot-Be-Spelled (go ahead and try – it’s F-R-E-Y-L-I-N-G-H-U-Y-S-E-N) for a congressman. Not the worst kind but nothing to get happy over. The wimp can’t even supply pork to the district!
Archivarix on February 7, 2012 at 11:45 AM
People in power, using that power to enrich themselves?
Get OUT!!!
/elainebenes
First, what would prevent a member of the Executive Branch from doing the exact same thing? The only difference is you can vote out your Congressman. You can’t vote out the Special Seputy Assistant in charge of Dumbassery and Kickbacks at the Dept of Agriculture.
Second, that isn’t indicative of a problem with earmarking. That’s a problem of too much damn money flowing through DC. When the government spends money, there is going to be corruption. Now, I believe our system tends to minimize it, but eliminating it is a fool’s errand.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Uh, yes. Paul was an ACU 96% in 2012, Boehner was 100%.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Sorry, 2010.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 11:59 AM
Pork? PORK!…and they say the media is not complicit?
Pelosi and patrons?…PORK?…Hey! To the media… it’s just “The Other White Meat”!
KOOLAID2 on February 7, 2012 at 12:01 PM
No, it is to her constituents’ benefit. Her constituents’ wealth has been seized by the federal government and she is returning some of it to them. That is the job of a Congressman, whether you like it or not. The issue isn’t earmarks or appropriations bills, since the dollar amount of spending has already been decided; the issue is the amount of spending that has already been decided. Cut the size of the federal government, and cut its spending.
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 12:04 PM
So roughly 181 million people live in the 26 states east of the Mississippi + DC, and roughly 130 million live in the 24 states on the western side (including the 2 states that are mostly west).
Sounds like your stats agree with JG23.
rwenger43 on February 7, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Well if were just estimating then 85.219% self identify as Republican, 74.372% are beta males, 29.875% (give or take) are addicted to watching the humpbot on a regular basis, then yes I can see how half of the people here luv the mittster…
rolls eyes
Bunsin2 on February 7, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Archivarix on February 7, 2012 at 11:45 AM
When we lived in Illinois our congress thing was spelled T-R-I-P-L-E J.
Neugebauer rolls off the tongue sooo much easier.
annoyinglittletwerp on February 7, 2012 at 12:06 PM
Ok. I hope that if I’m ever mugged, the mugger will spend some of my loot in my store.
Akzed on February 7, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Really??? We elect Congressmen to set an example for the rest?
Look, the dollar amount of spending has already been decided. An appropriations bill, which is where the earmarks are found, determines where the dollars go. Every single cent should be earmarked so that we know where it is going. Every.single.cent. Railing against less than 1 percent of the total money in an appropriations bill is foolish. Rail against the dollar amount that has already been decided. Rail against the progressive income tax.
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 12:08 PM
You are confusing two different things as being the same. Spending must be reduced. Drastically. Fighting against appropriations bills is not where you are going to win that battle, because the spending amount has already been determined.
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 12:10 PM
I was gonna say: Wow! The ACU is doing better than I thought, working the time travel angle :-)
And there’s big difference between ACU ratings, and party fidelity. Any doubt about that, remember “Time to get your ass in line!” over…???… debt ceiling? I assure you, John Boehner knew better than to address that to Ron Paul.
You are absolutely right about earmarks and party discipline. Except, for some weird, as-yet-unexplained reason, when it comes to Ron Paul. He sends constituent requests to the appropriate chairmen, as per his responsibility as their Representative. And then informs those committee chairmen he is going to vote “No” on them. Everybody knows that going in. Twisting his arm won’t work. He’s going to vote “No”, just as sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow.
And yet, as if by magic, they include these in spending bills, knowing full well Ron Paul isn’t going to play ball.
Now, after laying out my belief that Congress should earmark everything, regardless of how you feel about earmarks or the politics they create… explain to me the politics by which those earmarks get included in those bills. It simply runs completely opposite to the idea of earmarks as a tool of party discipline.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 12:14 PM
Oh, I hope you are not supporting Newt Gingrich for POTUS.
JohnGalt23 on February 7, 2012 at 12:16 PM
Would you rather that money be forfeited to Obama and a faceless bureaucrat who gets to decide where that money goes (and you’d never find out where, either)?
Dante on February 7, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Money that was allocated but not spent, is returned to the treasury. Money that is spent, is added to the baseline for next years budget.
So Ron Paul’s $10 million for Boston, Mass., “Reach Out and Read” national center in FY2009, instead of being returned to the treasury, was added to FY2010, FY2011, FY2012, so it really cost us $40 million – so far, each new year means we’re spending that ten million every year in perpetuity.
Interesting points to remember, that money for Ron Paul’s pork, was borrowed from the Chinese with interest. Also, that’s just one year’s worth of earmarks, he’s been sucking on the American taxpayer’s teat for 30 years, so take the millions he scored when his career started should be multiplied by 30, his second year by 29, etc. Add it all up – we’re well past $100 billion.
Rebar on February 7, 2012 at 12:22 PM
I actually agree with Ran Paul on this issue.
Rebar on February 7, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Meet Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D)
This is his Super Bowl placed campaign ad: http://vimeo.com/36162566
Local news story doing a half baked fact check instigated by his primary opponent (which is more than we usually get):
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/news/dist-16-congressional-race-gets-heated/nHWb7/
“Reyes statement: Congressman Reyes has taken over 10,000 votes on legislation on the floor of the House, the Armed Services, Veteran Affairs, and Intelligence Committees. He has a 92% lifetime voting record and has used his seniority both to directly request and support legislation that has brought billions in resources for El Paso. He has directly authored and requested language in over 70 appropriations bills alone and that language has become law.”
2nd Ammendment Mother on February 7, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Mine isn’t either and he is about as corrupt as you can find. It is just that he cares less about doing for the district than he is about feathering his own nest with contributions that “coincidentally” come from companies that awarded lucrative government contracts.
Apparently the WaPo seems to think you need to build infrastructure or have a relative as a beneficiary for this stuff to rise to the level of questionable influence.
Happy Nomad on February 7, 2012 at 1:10 PM
That explains why Pelosi insisted he go on the Intel committee instead of Jane Harman. He is just as much a criminal as she is.
Happy Nomad on February 7, 2012 at 1:12 PM
I wasn’t disagreeing or agreeing. I was looking up the stats to see how the population is spread out across the country, and sharing the link.
Where would you place Alaska and Hawaii’s population? West? Because they really aren’t part of the continental United States.
Dr Evil on February 7, 2012 at 3:14 PM
I’m curious. Does it hurt when you paulbots twist yourselves into that sort of pretzel?
Solaratov on February 7, 2012 at 4:13 PM
But…but…Ronpaul’s not on the list!!
But, if he is…it’s all good.
Solaratov on February 7, 2012 at 4:24 PM