By Adam Andrzejewski
CEO/founder, OpenTheBooks.com

Exclusive to WGME-Portland, Maine

This week, Congress is voting on another enormous “omnibus” spending bill – a catch-all bill designed to keep the government funded without going through the normal budget process. 

Unfortunately for taxpayers, both parties are up to their old tricks: the $1.7 trillion bill is stuffed with 7,510 earmarks costing taxpayers $16 billion for pet projects. This pork was requested by lawmakers for projects in their districts or across the state.

Our former Honorary Chairman of OpenTheBooks, U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn said it best: “Earmarks are the gateway drug to runaway spending bills.”

Earmarks are the currency of corruption in Congress. It’s a legal bribe meant to twist arms and get members of Congress to vote for massive spending bills.

Local projects of merit should be funded locally and not through the federal government or congressional appropriation. Why should taxpayers in Alabama fund projects in Maine?

So, it’s time to follow the money. Our auditors mapped the 7,510 earmarks in the legislation by state. Click here to see our OpenTheBooks interactive map: who requested how much money for what project in your state or locality.

Maine will receive $383.4 million from 232 earmarked projects. 

Who were the biggest champions of earmarks? U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R) out-earmarked her democrat colleagues: $200 million to $183 million. 

EXAMPLES: 17 multi-million-dollar earmarks for local projects

Recipient	Project	Amount	Requestor(s)	Party
	Moosehead Sanitary District for Big Moose Township Municipal Sewer Line Connection.	$5,733,000	Collins, King	B
Caribou Parks and Recreation Foun- dation.	Caribou Pond and Park Reclamation Project	$4,459,000	Collins	R
Auburn Police Activities League	Auburn PAL Community Center	$3,000,000	Collins	R
Penquis C.A.P., Inc.	FORESTpring: 3D Printed Affordable Housing Using Forest-Derived Materials.	$3,000,000	King	D
Maine Irish Heritage Center	Maine  Irish  Heritage  Center  —  Restore the Building Envelope	$3,000,000	Pingree	D
Sanford Library Association Inc., dba Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library	Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library Renovation	$3,000,000	Pingree	D
State  of  Maine,  Governor’s  Energy  Office, Augusta,  ME  for  job training, job placement services, stipends, equipment, and curriculum	State  of  Maine,  Governor’s  Energy  Office, Augusta,  ME  for  job training, job placement services, stipends, equipment, and curriculum	$2,750,000	Pingree	D
City of Caribou	City of Caribou Police Station	$2,500,000	Collins	R
Portland Parks Conservancy	Portland Harbor Common Open Space.	$2,145,000	King	D
Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport	Aircraft  Hangar  Auburn-Lewiston  Municipal Airport (LEW)	$1,600,000	Golden	D
Bangor Region YMCA	Bangor Region YMCA .	$1,500,000	Collins, King	B
Colonial Theater, Inc.	Augusta Colonial Theater Restora- tion	$1,500,000	Collins	R
City of Lewiston	Canal and Riverwalk Trail	$979,000	Collins	R
YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston	YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston Multi-Use Facility.	$925,000	Collins	R
Governor’s Energy Office	State of Maine, Governor’s Energy Office, ME, for a clean energy partnership workforce training initiative.	$825,000	King	D
Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center	Women Lead: an Enterprise Institute	$619,000	Pingree	D
Maine Irish Heritage Center	Maine Irish Heritage Center Build- ing Restoration.	$500,000	Collins, King	B

Source: U.S. House and U.S. Senate Disclosures

Bringing back earmarks was the equivalent of bringing back the swine flu.

We have to hold the political class accountable for their tax-and-spend decisions, and it will take widespread action from taxpayers to put an end to the earmarks addiction once and for all. 

Too often, politicians only break bad habits when they are caught in the act and exposed.

Now, we can do it right from our computers.

It’s time to tell Congress: get back to normal budgeting, not temporary bills stuffed with special favors.  

Learn more at OpenTheBooks.com. 

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