The major news networks have yet to mention the pork in the Hurricane Sandy relief bill!
The new “crisis” that grabbed the Washington spotlight away from the fiscal cliff Wednesday offers the perfect illustration of why our nation is slouching toward fiscal disaster.
We refer to the bipartisan fury from lawmakers in Northeastern states battered by Hurricane Sandy over House Speaker John Boehner’s decision not to vote on a $60 billion relief measure this Tuesday that had been approved by the Senate. Republicans were Boehner’s harshest critics, led by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Rep. Peter King.
Boehner didn’t hold up the relief measure because he’s a mean man who wants the suffering to continue in devastated areas. He did so because the $60 billion was larded with pork-barrel projects unrelated to storm damage. Here’s a very short list:
• $13 billion for large infrastructure projects that we are assured would “mitigate” damage from future storms.
• $10.8 billion for public transportation, almost entirely for future projects, not disaster relief.
• $207 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Manhattan Medical Center.
• $199 million in tax breaks for rum makers.
• $188 million for upgrading, not repairing, Amtrak rail lines.
• $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide fisheries in Alaska.
• $100 million for a federal day-care program.
• $57 million for tracking debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
• $20 million for a national “water priorities” study.
• $8 million to buy vehicles and equipment for the departments of Justice and Homeland Security.
Remember, this is just the short version of the pork list. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, says a bill that focused solely on Hurricane Sandy relief would be less than half of $60 billion.
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