According to Jack Lee of Post Scripts, the Katahdin Iron Works land deal involving the AMC purchase and the utilization of $4.5 million in federal “earmark” money makes the list of the top 375 pork projects coming out of Congress in 2006.

According to the PIG BOOK for 2006, This year’s list of earmarks includes: $13,500,000 for the International Fund for Ireland, which helped finance the World Toilet Summit; $6,435,000 for wood utilization research; $1,000,000 for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative; and $500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, N.C. Spenders of your money stuffed 9,963 pork projects into the 11 appropriations bills.

The 375 worst pork spending projects, totaling $3.4 billion, in this year’s Congressional Pig Book symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples. See the list of pork on the following pages:

The list is long as you can imagine but if you go there and scroll down about 2/3 of the way, you’ll see this introduction of the Interior Department’s pork barrel expenditures listed under “VI Interior”.

The fiscal 2006 Interior Appropriations Act is similar to its predecessors, with the addition of funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. One of most recognizable agencies in this bill is the National Park Service (NPS), a.k.a. “the National Pork Service.” In March 2005, the Congressional Research Service cited $9.7 billion worth of maintenance backlogged at national parks. That didn’t stop appropriators from adding $136 million in pork for the NPS. Total pork for the Interior bill was $669.5 million dispersed among 737 projects.

Of the over one dozen pork projects listed, the Katahdin Iron Works was listed around 8th in spending.

$4,500,000 for the Katahdin Iron Works in Maine. This company operated in Maine between 1843 and 1890. According to Mainerec.com, “Although isolated, it was tied closely to outside markets and technological advances in the iron industry. Its beginnings, for example, paralleled a growing demand for iron farm tools, machinery and railroad car wheels. In the end, the iron works failed when huge mills in Pennsylvania brought the nation’s new age of steel.” According to The Wilderness Society, “The project also features new recreational amenities such as trails, water access points and backcountry facilities that will help bring new visitors to the region.”

Tom Remington

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