Transportation pork is always on the griddle for hungry appropriators flush with cash.  The fiscal 2000 transportation spending bill brings taxpayers some truly outlandish pork on wheels.  Here are just a few morsels in the bill, signed into law by the President on Oct. 9, 1999:

  • Alaska Transportation Pork:  $18.4 million added by the Senate for 6 transportation projects in the home state of Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including $3 million Alaska Intelligent Transportation Systems.
  • New Haven, Conn. Trolley Cars:  Although not included in the President’s budget, the House added $250,000 for trolley cars in the district (and home town) of House Appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).
  • National Welfare to Work Center:  A worthy goal, but not exactly a transportation issue.  This $1 million earmark is going to the University of Illinois – the alma mater of House Appropriator Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.).
  • Montana Transportation Pork:  Montana’s favorite purveyor of pork, Senate Appropriator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), will be walking away with at least $15.8 million in transportation earmarks in fiscal 2000 – including $400,000 for the Kalispell Bus Barn Facility.
  • TransCenter, White Plains, N.Y.:  A $1 million earmark for the TransCenter transportation center in the district of House Appropriator Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).
  • Potomac River Ferry, Va.:  A $500,000 earmark for a Potomac River car ferry in the district of House Transportation Appropriations Chairman Frank Wolf (R-Va.).
  • Savannah, Ga. Water Taxi:  Although not included in the President’s budget request, the House added $500,000 for a water taxi in the district of House Appropriator Jack Kingston (R-Ga.).  This is the exact amount Rep. Kingston was able to purloin for the project last year.
  • Seattle, Wash. Water Taxi:  With the help of a few friends on the House Appropriations Committee, Seattle was able to sail away with $500,000 in pork for a local water taxi – the same amount earmarked by the Senate last year.
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area:  This $3.4 million earmark is a gift from Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking member Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).  Delaware Water Gap has a long history of being a reservoir for pork – in 1997, the National Park Service spent $784,000 for an outhouse on the Pennsylvania side of the Gap.