Democrats Earmark Ban Didn't Last Long

It took less than a month for congressional Democrats to jettison President Obama's call for an earmark moratorium.

With $819 billion in new spending roaring out of Washington, anonymous Democratic legislators could not resist slipping in a few pet projects of their own while writing the legislation.

As the stimulus package arrives in the Senate, it comes decorated with some eyebrow-raising items.

The Economic Development Assistance Program gets $150 million. That sounds reasonable - most agree the country could use a little economic development right now - until it's remembered that this is the organization that members of Congress have used in the past to fund the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Mississippi, and Astoria, Oregon's Seafood Consumer Center.

Does this mean Congress may at last fund Las Vegas' request for the mob museum?

Earlier in the week, House Democrats theatrically removed family planning funds from the stimulus package. But a provision in the Senate package suggests the money may soon be added back.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority could receive a federal payment of $125 million.

Could the $62 million for "necessary infrastructure upgrades associated with the large-scale redeployment of U.S. military forces to Guam" indicate where the withdrawal of troops in Iraq could be headed?

The State Department's Capital Investment Fund, for "immediate information technology upgrades", would receive $524 million to create just 388 jobs in the United States, which equals $1.35 million per job.

According to documents acquired by NewMajority, the bill also offers:

- $190 million for "government-wide supercomputers"
- $248 million for DHS headquarters consolidation
- $30 million for abandoned-mine cleanup
- $3.5 billion for military construction
- $100 million for lead paint abatement
- $9 billion in the Federal Buildings Fund
- $240 million for alteration of Bridges

$819 billion - if that really is the ultimate total - is a staggering amount of money. A money bill so huge is the perfect place to stash a few giveaways. As things are going, the taxpayers will only learn what they have bought after the money has been spent.