Book by Citizens Against Government Waste
The 2009 “Pig Book” is being released today. The book is a detailed account of “pet project” or “pork barrel” government spending.
This year’s “Pig Book” reports that the government has funded fewer pet projects but spent more money on earmarks overall.
‘Pig Book’ by the numbers
Capitol Hill lawmakers this year have added 10,160 pet projects to the budget. That’s a 12.5 percent decrease from last year’s 11,610 projects. However, the total cost of the 2009 pet projects is $19.6 billion, compared to last year’s $17.2 billion.
The “Pig Book” reports this represents a 14 percent increase in cost to taxpayers. Of course, under the new stimulus plan you won’t see that cost immediately. But it may send you scrambling for an online cash advance to pay your taxes next year.
What constitutes ‘pork’?
The “Pig Book” has been released every year since 1991 by the Citizens Against Government Waste. The group calls itself “America’s #1 taxpayer watchdog.” It defines “pork” as any government-funded project that meets at least one of the following criteria:
- Requested by only one chamber of Congress
- Not specifically authorized
- Not competitively awarded
- Not requested by the President
- Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding
- Not the subject of congressional hearings
- Serves only a local or special interest
You can download a summary PDF of the book or order a hard copy if you make a donation at CAGW’s web site. However, some details of the book were printed in the Christian Science Monitor.
Enforcing transparency
Besides reporting the amount and nature of each pet project, the “Pig Book” names the sponsors of each earmark — if it can. Christian Science Monitor reports:
Of the 10,160 projects is this year’s Pig Book, CAGW identified 221 earmarks worth $7.8 billion that were funded in violation of Congress’s own transparency rules.
Oh man, if it hasn’t happened already, these guys should team up with LegiStorm. I think it’s great that people in a position to find these things out can put the information out to the American People. I mean, it’s our money, and it’s our government – we elected them, we’re paying the taxes, we deserve to know just about everything, obviously excepting those things which would go against national security. I don’t see how any of these jokers ever got to the idea that they are our overlords – they’re our employees.
LOL@Peter Stone. Team up with Legistorm? Brilliant!