October, 2002

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Congress, as usual, is loading up its spending bills with "riders" tucked away in remote corners with loads of pork; the usual giveaways, to gain votes for the primary bill. (quid pro quo)

* A tattoo-removal program in Obispo County, California - $50,000
* A bike trail in North Dakota - $500,000
* The Center On Obesity at West Virginia University - $2,000,000
* An effort to combat "Goth Culture" in Montana - $270,000
* Therapeutic horseback riding in California - $150,000
* Dolphin replacement project in Washington State - $4,000,000
* A project to see if public transit buses and trains can run on soybeans in Missouri - $1,000,000
* A project to pull weeds from the Navidad and Lavaca rivers in Texas - $300,000

According to the June issue of the Washington Times, there are nearly 8,000 such-like pork projects amounting to 15 billion dollars tucked away in the remote corners of Congressional spending bills.

You can let your Congressional Representative, Ted Strickland know your thoughts about this use of your tax dollars by calling the Capital Switchboard at: 1-202-224-3121


- Bob Murphy