Less Pork Barrel Spending in 2008 for New Hampshire than in 2006
PORK KEENE
Keene Sentinel
Kenna Caprio
Boston University Washington News Service
April 2, 2008
WASHINGTON — The 2008 fiscal year saw New Hampshire ranked 28th on the “pork per capita” state list put out by a non-partisan, non-profit watchdog organization.
Citizens Against Government Waste released its 18th annual Congressional Pig Book, which examines and quantifies pork barrel spending.
The Pig Book classifies pork as spending that meets one if not more of seven 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; not the subject of congressional hearings; and serves only a local or special interest.
This definition encompasses spending earmarks, the practice of designating money for local or special-interest projects.
“There are 11,610 projects, the second-largest total ever, worth $17.2 billion,” Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said at a press conference.
Rep. Paul W. Hodes (D-N.H.) was responsible for $35.5 million for 35 projects this year while Sens. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and John Sununu (R-N.H.) brought in $93.8 million and $69.4 million for 63 and 36 projects respectively, according to the Pig Book.
“I will continue my work to bring greater transparency and accountability to the earmark process with further reform,” Hodes said in a statement. “The leadership has decided that we will not halt earmarks this year; therefore, I plan to move forward with my requests to make sure New Hampshire’s tax dollars are not sent to New York or Los Angeles but stay right here in the Granite State.”
Gregg, at a press conference last month, defended earmarks. “I think an outright abolition of earmarks is an abolition of the authority of the Congress,” he said. “And it basically passes to the executive branch massive amounts of authority, which I’m not sure you want to embed in a bureaucracy which is unaccountable. At least the members of Congress are accountable.”
In 2006 New Hampshire was ranked 11th on the “pork per capita” by state list and was the highest ranked state in New England that year. This year, New Hampshire is preceded by Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut on the list.
“I’ll continue to stand out if I think that we’re wasting resources or spending money on programs that can’t be justified,” Sununu said in a statement. “I was one of 15 senators to vote against the ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Citizens of New Hampshire expect you to stand up for their interests as I do every day, but also to make sure that we spend money wisely.”
The cost of New Hampshire pork projects totaled $42.1 million, according to the Pig Book. And the pork per capita was $32.04. Alaska led the states with pork per capita spending of $555.54 and Arizona had the lowest per capita pork, $14.17.
The Senate voted last month on an amendment that would place a one-year moratorium on earmarks. It failed, 71-29, with Sununu voting for the moratorium and Gregg voting against it.
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