It's who you know -- not what you need -- when it comes to pork in the Highway Bill.Take a look at California. About $3.4 billion of the $23 billion California got in the Highway Bill is for "earmarks." Those are specific projects instead of money for the general highway fund in the state.
Little old Bakersfield gets more money per person than San Francisco. That's thanks to Rep Bill Thomas (R-FL) who represents Bakersfield -- and has 14 terms of clout on Capitol Hill.
Here are some of the places the money went:
- $989 per person for Kern County, Bakersfield area
- $422 per person in San Francisco
- $99 per person in Los Angeles County
It helps to have connections. (Press-Democrat)
1 comment:
Bill Thomas is the Chairman of hte Ways & Means Committee, right?
He's probably the most powerful Republican in the House outside the current leadership.
I watched the mark-up on the prescription drug bill that was passed recently.
If the staffers and other committee members were any indication, WJ Thomas was the only person on Earth who fully understood the bill.
He's not on "my" side, but he's earned my respect for competence.
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