$17.2 Billion Worth Of The Other White Meat

In case you forgot your congressional vocabulary, earmarks, or �pork projects,� are much-loathed tag-ons to budget bills that snag money for members of Congress� pet projects. Lately, there�s been a movement in Washington to put an end to such means of unnecessary spending. [CBS]

Yet, despite all the talk on Capitol Hill about the need to cut back and even halt earmarks, the latest report shows it�s an addiction many find hard to break.

There are more earmarks than ever this year � 11,600 of them � totaling more than $17 billion tax dollars. According to reports, the top three spenders are Republicans.

What are our elected officials spending money on? We�re glad you asked. Take a look:

There�s $3 million to help the diamond trade.

Nearly a $1 million to manage noxious weeds in Idaho.

Then there�s money for the National Mule and Packers Museum, and a walking tour of a tiny town in Virginia � with a population of 474.

And while all this pork spending surprises us, we�ve got to say we�re not surprised. After all, the Pentagon has shelled out upwards of $295 billion for weapons systems that don�t even work. [Washington Post]

We… smell… BACON!

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