Posted by Jonathan Adler:
More Wasteful Water Project Spending:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_23-2007_09_29.shtml#1190724735
Despite levee failures and bridge collapses, Congress continues to
divert public works spending to pork barrel projects. The latest
example is the [1]$23 billion water resources bill passed
overwhelmingly by the Senate yesterday. Senate leaders on both sides
of the aisle praise the measure. Senator Feingold was one of the few
to call a pig a pig:
�After a decade of government and independent reports calling for
reforming the corps and pointing out stunning flaws in corps
projects and project studies, and after the tragic failures of New
Orleans levees during Hurricane Katrina, the American people
deserve meaningful reform,� Mr. Feingold said in a speech on the
Senate floor. �How many more flawed projects or wasted dollars will
it take before we say enough is enough?� . . . .
More dire warnings came from watchdog groups and some engineering
experts, who said that the bill did not ensure that the most
crucially needed work in Louisiana or elsewhere would get the
highest priority, and instead would allow lawmakers with the most
political muscle to push their favored projects.
�We are diverting our spending for the high priority projects to
the political priority projects,� said Steve Ellis, vice president
of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonprofit group that monitors
Congressional spending.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer
praised the bill, explaining it addressed national priorities for
water infrastructure, including flood control, navigability,
ecological restoration, and "making sure our people have recreational
opportunities around these projects.�
The White House, for its part, said President Bush will veto the bill,
but supporters appear to have enough votes for an override.
References
1.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/washington/25water.html?ex=1348459200&en=7234f2885f099e02&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
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