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Main Entry: pork Pronunciation: ‘pOrk Function: noun In American political slang, it is politics (including government money, jobs, or favors) dealing with funding at the Federal level of local projects with little or no national significance yielding rich patronage benefits. In a literal sense a “pork barrel” is a barrel in which pork is kept, but figuratively speaking it is a supply of money, often the source of one’s livelihood. |
This week’s pork, served fresh, hot, and steamy: The 16th annual Congressional Pig Book issued by Citizens Against Government Waste — a private, nonprofit organization — identified almost 10,000 pork projects in 2006.
Although the number of projects is about 30% less than last year, the total cost climbed to a record $29 billion, up 6.2%.
“Pork-barrel spending illustrates and contributes to the meltdown of spending restraint in Washington,” said Tom Schatz, president of the watchdog group.
The anti-waste group classifies “pork” spending as any project that is not included in the president’s original budget request, is sought by a single member of Congress, or has not been specifically authorized.
Alaska, Hawaii and the District of Columbia led the nation with the most pork per capita.
Indiana, Florida and Georgia are at the bottom of the list.
“Earmarks,” as the pork-barrel projects are often called, are often approved without being subject to a separate vote in the House or the Senate, and sometimes without any debate.
The anti-waste organization singled out 375 projects, totaling $3.4 billion, that it considered “the most egregious and blatant examples of pork.”
