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Spending Bill Critics Say Earmarks Not Evaluated Properly

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By BILLY HOUSE

bhouse@tampatrib.com

Published: March 5, 2009

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of millions of dollars for Tampa Bay area projects ranging from money to dredge the Port of Tampa to youth-gang prevention and municipal beautification efforts are at stake in a catch-all spending bill the Senate is expected to vote on today.

Some Republicans and reform-minded Democrats are hoping to topple the legislation, though whether they have the numbers to do so is uncertain.

The $410 billion omnibus spending package would pay for government operations through September. The sprawling measure, which combines nine budget bills into one, is necessary because Congress failed to finish work last year on funding federal agencies.

Already approved by the House last week, Democratic Senate leaders hope to pass it today for President Barack Obama to sign by Friday, when a temporary funding measure expires.

But critics in the Senate and others are lashing out at the bill's huge price tag, particularly zeroing in on at least $7.7 billion in about 8,000 "member items" - or special earmarks requested by lawmakers.

Critics complain that funding for such projects is too often not appropriated according to relative merit and is too frequently accompanied by campaign contributions from beneficiaries or their lobbyists.

Opposition to the measure has been building for other reasons as well, such as the inclusion of language that would let Cuban-Americans visit their relatives in that country more frequently and bring about other changes to U.S.-Cuba policy.

One government watch group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, has determined from the more than 1,000 pages of budget bill language that Florida GOP Sen. Mel Martinez is the 35th-biggest Senate recipient of earmarked dollars for a state in the bill.

The state's other senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, was ranked 37th.

Through a spokesman, Nelson said the items he has secured in the bill are important for Florida.

"Without such, there'd be no money," the spokesman said, for such things as lifesaving equipment at public hospitals, numerous research and teaching programs in the state university system, and many other needs.

In the House, Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa was joined by Republican Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville in supporting the bill.

Republican Reps. Adam Putnam of Bartow, C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores and Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor voted against it, although all three had secured member items in the bill.

Explains Bilirakis: "The local projects which I have sponsored will help our community advance and improve by funding important programs which enhance local law enforcement, improve access to quality health care and encourage economic development."

But Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said some lawmakers are trying to eat their cake and their pork too by complaining about too much spending while making their own requests for favorite project funding.

Ellis and others have also said they are disappointed in Obama. The new president promised during his campaign that he would work to limit member items. But Ellis said he has not used his "bully pulpit" as president to so in this bill - "or at least whittle it down a little."

BAY AREA EARMARKS

Here is some of the bill's funding for Tampa Bay area projects, and the member(s) of Congress who requested the money:

•$250,000 for Boys and Girls Club of Tampa: Hispanic Youth Gang Prevention Project -- Rep. Kathy Castor, Sen. Bill Nelson.

•$476,000 for the the Hillsborough Community College Veterinary Technology Program, including building construction --- Rep. Adam Putnam.

•$237,000 for Hillsborough Avenue beautification project in Town 'N Country — Rep. Kathy Castor

•$599,000 for "improved cow-beef operations" in Brooksville — Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, Sen. Mel Martinez and Rep. Allen Boyd

•$400,000 for the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University Law School in Gulfport — Rep. C.W. Bill Young

•$1.75 million for the National Forensic Science Technology Center's Forensic Center of Excellence in Largo — Young

•$4.2 million for Tampa Harbor dredging, other projects — Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Rep. Adam Putnam, Castor

•$250,000 for the Hillsborough County Methamphetamine Prevention Project — Putnam

•$250,000 for the Polk County Methamphetamine Prevention Project — Putnam

•$300,000 for Phoenix House in Hillsborough County, to upgrade health record technology — Sen. Bill Nelson

•$475,000 for a water taxi feasibility study in Hillsborough County — Castor

•$1.3 million for the USDA-ARS Subtropical Agriculture Research Station, allowing the research facility to remain in Brooksville — Brown-Waite

•$2.2 million for HART bus and "para-transit" acquisition—Castor

•$300,000 for the Plant City Police Department's Mobile Command Post — Bilirakis

•$1 million for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in St. Petersburg for reef fish monitoring — Putnam

•$800,0000 for the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute at St. Petersburg College — Young.

•$1.5 million for the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife's land acquisition program, for the purchase of land surrounding Three Sister Springs for manatee protection — Brown-Waite

•$123 million for Everglades restoration – Nelson, Martinez, Castor and others.

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