The Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame is getting $75,000. One taxpayer group called it the biggest waste of money in the country. US Representative Jim Walsh secured the money for that museum.
A Closer Look: Where's The Pork?
Evan Dawson (Rochester, NY) 05/26/05 -- Many taxpayers don't realize it, but their money is paying for thousands of lawmakers' pet projects around the country. This year, Congress set a new record for spending tax revenue and about $38 billion will go to lawmakers' pet "pork-barrel" projects. Millions will fund hundreds of projects in New York state alone.
For example, the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame is getting $75,000. One taxpayer group called it the biggest waste of money in the country. Syracuse Sports Development Director John Rathbun says don't blame him; he's just trying to increase tourism in western New York.
"I'm glad that there's a group out there that monitors that kind of stuff--God bless 'em. I'm happy as a taxpayer that they do that, but the money that we're getting from the Congressman is going to be well spent," he said.
US Representative Jim Walsh secured the money for that museum and another $70,000 to close an elementary school in the Clyde-Savannah Central School District in Wayne County. District Superintendent Richard Drahms says the federal grant will fund a study so they can hire someone to find a good use for the building. Savannah Town Supervisor Don Colvin said spending federal tax dollars wasn't even necessary.
Drahms said, "That's something a lot of people say when it comes to pork barrel money, but this gives us an opportunity to study that building and look at how we can improve education for our students. So we'll take that money; we'll accept it."
No one is saying these projects don't have any value. The concern lies in the secretive way the projects are inserted into the budget. The federal budget is more than 3,000 pages. Often Congressmen and women will often quietly insert their own projects at the last minute. Those projects aren't debated, and when the budget passes, all those pet projects pass, too.
The end result is tax dollars being spent for thousands of projects that were never debated in Congress, including these in New York: $250,000 for jazz music in New York City; $700,000 for the Erie Canal; $950,000 for several private colleges that are not in financial trouble, including St. John Fisher; and $3 million for genetic research of grapes in Geneva.
US Senator Chuck Schumer secured the money for grape research. He says these projects offer taxpayers valuable returns for their money.
"Look at all the new wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Look at all the new jobs from the tourism…that three million dollars is well-invested," he said.
Some citizens like Todd Davis don't expect the spending to stop, but he's tried to convince lawmakers to stop spending so much on pet projects.
"I think they view it as free money. Makes friends with someone else's money -- makes everyone happy, right?" he said,
President Bush has called on Congress to spend less, but he has never vetoed a single spending bill.
To get an idea of what $38 billion could also buy, it is enough money to hire nearly a million new teachers or to fund a modest tax cut for all Americans.
