Friday January 24, 2014• OBJ: SWBAT determine whether earmarks

(pork barrel) helps or hurts government by assessing both sides of the argument.

• Drill: What does this cartoon say about earmarks/pork belly? How does this represent local politics and how we feel about our politicians.

• HW: Read the articles on political leaders and committees, and summarize the main ideas in each.

What does this cartoon say about earmarks/pork belly? How does this represent local politics and how we feel about our

politicians?

Bringing Home the Bacon: Pork, Riders, Earmarks, and Christmas Tree Bills

• Earmarking: The designation of a specific amount of funds in an appropriations bill or a direct revenue source for a particular project.

• Rider: is an additional provision annexed to a bill under the consideration of a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. They are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision which would not pass as its own bill.

• Christmas Tree Bill: A bill that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. A Christmas tree bill consists of many riders.

• Pork barrel: Derogatory term describing government spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support.

Some Things to Consider• Lack of transparency and secrecy of the

earmarking process has allowed corrupt behavior, leading critics to label earmarks as “pork barrel” spending that encourages politicians to “bring home the bacon”

• Recent reforms require Congress members to post their earmark requests on their websites and sign a written statement renouncing any financial benefit from earmark.

Some Things You May Not Have Known

• Earmarking Federal funding for local projects began with Rep John C. Callhoun in 1817.

• Although the public criticizes earmarks for the increasing size of the federal deficit, Congressional budget earmarks only make up a small amount of government spending.

• According to watchdog groups earmarks made up $16.5 billion down from $56 billion in 2006

• New regulations have been put in place to stop corruption.

$500,000 Catfish Studies in Mississippi$30 million Water/sewage projects in Alaska$5.5 million Honey Bee research$200,000 Maxine Waters Employment Center$210,000 Swine Hoop Research in Iowa$350,000 Constructing the Railroad Hall of Fame$750,000 Improvements to the Baseball Hall of Fame$350,000 Sweet Potato Research$572 million Water system improvements in WVA$1.6 Million Drainage projects in Illinois$950 Million Grasshopper and cricket control/Nevada+Utah$50,000 Shitake Mushroom Study$450,000 United States Soccer foundation to promote soccer$250,000 Wine Research Center—UC Davis$250,000 Oregon Beaver Management$5 million McGruff the Crime Dog funding$90,000 Billingual audio tour for the National Cowgirl Museum$202,500 Construction of the National Peanut Festival Arena$2 million Construction of the “First Tee” program, and initiative of the World Golf Foundation$750,000 For the Please Touch Museum in Philly$315,000 Formosan subterranean termite research$1000,000 Renovation of Coca Cola Building$270,000 Potato storage research$450,000 Research on the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a citrus pest$360,000 Research on the uses of citrus waste$900,000 Building the Burpee Seep museum$200,000 Construction of a deer avoidance system$2.4 million New subway station for the new Yankee stadium$3 million Production of a documentary about infrastructure that demonstrates advancements in

Alaska

Byrd Droppings• Robert C. Byrd Drive, from Beckley to Sophia (Byrd's hometown)

Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling Jesuit UniversityRobert C. Byrd HighwayRobert C. Byrd Federal Correctional InstitutionRobert C. Byrd High SchoolRobert C. Byrd FreewayRobert C. Byrd Center for Hospitality and TourismRobert C. Byrd Science Center

• Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia• Robert C. Byrd Cancer Research Center • Robert C. Byrd Technology Center at Alderson-Broaddus College • Robert C. Byrd Hardwood Technologies Center, near Princeton • Robert C. Byrd Bridge between Huntington and Chesapeake, Ohio • Robert C. Byrd addition to the lodge at Oglebay Park, Wheeling • Robert C. Byrd Community Center, Pine Grove • Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships• Robert C. Byrd Expressway, U.S. 52 near Weirton • Robert C. Byrd Institute in Charleston • Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing • Robert C. Byrd Visitor Center at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park • Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse• Robert C. Byrd Academic and Technology Center• Robert C. Byrd United Technical Center• Robert C. Byrd Federal Building (there are two)• Robert C. Byrd Hilltop Office Complex• Robert C. Byrd Library and Robert C. Byrd Learning Resource Center• Robert C. Byrd Rural Health Center• Robert C. Byrd Clinical Addition to the veteran's hospital in Huntington• Robert C. Byrd Industrial Park, Hardy County• Robert C. Byrd Scholastic Recognition Award Robert C. Byrd Community Center in the naval station, Sugar Grove

Robert C. Byrd Clinic at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic MedicineRobert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center at Marshall University

The

French

Kiss

Off

Award

to

Representative

Mike

Thompson (D-Calif.) for $211,509 in olive fruit fly research in

Paris,

France.

                              

The

Taxpayers

Get

Teed

Off

Award

to

House

Majority

Whip James

Clyburn (D-S.C.) for $3

million for

The

First

Tee in the defense appropriations bill.

                           

The

Cold

Hard

Cash

Award

to

Senator

Ted

Stevens (R-Alaska) for $165.7

million in defense pork.

                           

The

Tax

Dollars

on

Drugs

Award

to

Representative John

Murtha (D-Pa.) for $23

million for the

National

Drug Intelligence

Center.

                           

The Pantheon

of

Pork Award

to

Senator

Robert

Byrd (D-

W.VA) for $386

million in pork.

                           

The Narcissist

Award

to Representative

Charles

Rangel (D-N.Y.) for $1,950,000 for the

Charles

B.

Rangel

Center for

Public

Service.

                           

The

Pig in

Sheep's

Clothing

Award

to

Montana

Senators

Max

Baucaus (D) and Jon

Tester (D) for $148,950 for the

Montana

Sheep Institute.

                           

The Unidentified

Fiscal

Object  Award

to

Representative

Ann

Esshoo (D-Calif.) for $1.6

million for the

Allen

Telescope

Array.

                           

The Money

Doesn't

Grow

on

Trees

Award

to

Senator

Richard

Durbin (D-Ill.) for $344,540 for the city of

Chicago

GreenStreets

Tree

Planting

Program.

                           

The

Porky and

Bess

Award

for $7.9

million for 36 theaters in 21 states.

                           

The

Pacific

Fleeced

Award

to

Senator

Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for $173.2

million in defense pork.

                           

The

Taxpayers

Get

Steamed

Award

to

Maine

Senators

Susan

Collins and

Olympia

Snowe (R), and

Rep.

Thomas

Allen (D-Maine) for $188,000 for the Lobster Institute.

                         

This

Pork

Was

Made for

Walking Award

to

Representative

Virgil

Goode (R-Va.) for $98,000 to develop a

walking tour of

Boydton,

Virginia. 

                           

The

Return to

Sender

Award

to

Senate

Majority Leader

Harry

Reid (D-Nev.) for $196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic downtown

Post

Office in Las

Vegas.

The French Kiss Off Awardto Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for $211,509 in olive fruit fly research in Paris, France.

The Taxpayers Get Teed Off Awardto House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for $3 million for The First Tee in the defense appropriations bill.

The Cold Hard Cash Award

to Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) for $165.7 million in defense pork.

The Tax Dollars on Drugs Awardto Representative John Murtha (D-Pa.) for $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center.

The Pantheon of Pork Award

to Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.VA) for $386 million in pork.

The Narcissist Award

to Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.

The Pig in Sheep's Clothing Award

to Montana Senators Max Baucaus (D) and Jon Tester (D) for $148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.

The Unidentified Fiscal Object Award

to Representative Ann Esshoo (D-Calif.) for $1.6 million for the Allen Telescope Array.

The Money Doesn't Grow on Trees Awardto Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for $344,540 for the city of Chicago

GreenStreets Tree Planting Program.

The Porky and Bess Awardfor $7.9 million for 36 theaters in 21 states.

The Pacific Fleeced Award

to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for $173.2 million in defense pork.

The Taxpayers Get Steamed Awardto Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe (R), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) for $188,000 for the Lobster Institute.

This Pork Was Made for Walking Award

to Representative Virgil Goode (R-Va.) for $98,000 to develop a walking tour of Boydton, Virginia.

The Return to Sender Awardto Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for $196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic downtown Post Office in Las Vegas.

The Congressional Budget Earmarks Video• Watch the video, while watching fill out the

viewing guide.• Be prepared to discuss your answers at the

end.

Wrap Up

• Use the diagram on pork belly spending to answer the question below.