Latest Congressional Porker Named
In a November 15, 2007 press release, Citizens Against Government Waste named their latest Porker of the Month. According to CAGW, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) was cited:
“for airdropping a $3 million earmark for the First Tee golf program into the fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act conference report. First Tee’s mission, according to its website, is “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.”
“Even a pork-happy Congress that inserted 2,074 pork projects worth $6.6 billion into this year’s defense bill initially rejected Rep. Clyburn’s earmark. According to a November 10 McClatchy Newspapers report, “Clyburn said Friday he had to add the money to the defense spending bill in the conference committee because ‘it didn't make the cut’ earlier.”
Since 2003, First Tee has received $7.5 million in taxpayer earmarks even though it has Fortune 500 corporate sponsorships as well as some of golf’s “heaviest hitting organizations,” including the PGA, LPGA, and the USGA. Can't stand the waste of your tax dollars any more? Complain to Rep. Jim Moran, Arlington's Congressional representative!