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NOYB wrote:
"John H." wrote in message
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FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS -- HIGHWAY BILL: On Friday, Congress sent to
President Bush a six-year $286.5 billion highway bill which was
overflowing with wasteful pork spending.

Hmmm. The Highway bill appropriated the necessary funding to widen I-75
in
Southwest Florida from 2 lanes to 3 lanes. Since most of the working
folks
in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, and Fort Myers have to sit in 1-2
hours
of traffic on that road every morning, I'd say that the money is hardly
"wasteful pork spending".

The Highway Bill had 6,000 pork additions to it. 6000!!!! BILLIONS of
the dollars for the Highway Bill is used up by the pork. Do you think
that those below are "hardly wasteful pork spending"? Its just a few of
them:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Consider these items: construction of a $7 million
''Renaissance Square'' performing arts center in Rochester, New York; a
$1.5 million improvement for the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn,
Michigan; and the $1 million renovation of a historic bus station in
Jessup, Georgia.

There's money for all three -- and much more -- in the new highway
construction bill.

Many people may not understand what such projects have to do with
highways. But that's "How It Works."

Lawmakers of both parties use the massive bill to earmark funds for
local projects that appeal to the folks back home. That's especially
important in election years. Because there's something for everyone in
the bill, it routinely sails through Congress.

The $275 billion dollar transportation bill that the House approved
last week contains at least $11 billion worth of local pet projects.

Rep. William Lipinski, D-Illinois, who pushed through a $4 million
parking garage, wanted an even bigger bill. Last year, he introduced a
$375 billion highway bill -- a full $100 million more than the one
passed last week.

Lipinski may be a Democrat, but pork is bipartisan. Kingston, the
sponsor of the historic bus station renovation, is a conservative
Republican.

Democrats and Republicans defended the spending. "If you don't keep
good highways, you can't keep and grow good jobs," Sen. Christopher
Bond, R-Missouri, said on the Senate floor.

Others see the spending as fiscally irresponsible. "How far and
disgraceful a path we have tread in this pork-barrel laden piece of
over-spending at a time when we have all-time deficits," declared Sen.
John McCain, R-Arizona.

The White House agrees and is threatening a veto -- which both houses
of Congress have enough votes to override. In the end, that means
President Bush will be able to take a stand against pork-barrel
spending, but House and Senate members will still get the pork they so
desire


There was something like 20% pork in the first Iraq spending bill. Lots to
Democrats also. Why are Byrd and Kennedy so popular in their states? They
bring home the pork! Where was your outrage then?