Pork Per Capita
April 03, 2008 02:33 p.m. by Japhet ElsWhich state is getting the most federal funds via earmarks, per capita? You'll be surprised.
The folks over at Congressman Jim Cooper's office have put together a brilliant little open-source government bubble chart that shows which states are getting the most pork money through earmarks. The data stems from the group Citizens Against Government Waste who's mission is "to eliminate waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in the federal government." The organization represents over a million members nationwide and is the legacy of President Reagan's 1982 "Grace Commission."
Alaska takes the cake with over $550 per capita, which is no surprise with projects like the Bridge to Nowhere. Hawaii and North Dakota are right behind with $221 and $208 respectively.
Now, obviously a key component to this comparison is state population as well. States like North Dakota and Hawaii aren't getting hundreds of billions more than California or Texas. The top three recipients of pork money are also the 47th, 48th and 49th least populated states in the U.S. Maine ($22.40) and Wyoming ($27.30), the 40th and 50th least-populated states, actually have very little earmark money and projects flowing to them.
However, it is a good visual to see which states are getting the most money for each of their state citizens. And (embarrassing admission here), I don't know about anyone else but I as soon as I started to examine the bubble chart I began rooting for my home state (Vermont) for securing all that money. It's a shame -- I feel like this grab for federal funds with earmarks is not much different than the grab for open land in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. May the fastest horses win, and everyone else can grovel for the scraps.
Comments (3)
WaPo story for another side of the corruption story, one which Lessig told in his very first lecture on corruption.
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