Watchdog group says Texans bring the bacon

WASHINGTON (AP) The Texas congressional delegation brought home the fourth-largest amount of federal funding for special projects last year, according to a spending watchdog group.

Citizens Against Government Waste presented its annual Congressional Pig Book on Wednesday to call attention to what it deems irresponsible "porkbarrel" spending.

The group detailed a record-high $29 billion in congressional pork projects for 2005. That included $403 million for 262 projects in Texas.

"Pork" means homestate and home district projects specially set aside in congressional spending measures.

Four Texas projects identified in the report were $6.8 million for a Fort Hood physical fitness center when the post already has six others; $1 million for the University of Texas Flywheel Bus and Truck Program; $250,000 for the renovation of the Globe Theater in Odessa; and, $200,000 for the renovation of the Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center in Nacogdoches.

"Pork-barrel spending illustrates and contributes to the meltdown of spending restraint in Washington," group president Tom Schatz said. "Instead of averting an impending fiscal crisis, members of Congress are grabbing the spoils to support their own re-election."

The group ranked Texas 47th in the nation when it came to per-capita pork spending. The state received an average of $17.65 per person.

The group judges pork-barrel projects based on seven criteria, including contract awards not based on the lowest price or anything not specifically requested by President Bush.

The Fort Hood physical fitness center was part of about $18 million that Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, earmarked for the Central Texas Army base.

Carter said the spending is not pork because of the nation's need for a strong military.

"I am not ashamed of any of my earmarks," he said. Lawmakers' names should "be on everything they do, and they ought to take the flak if they ask for pork projects."

California ranked first in pork spending at $734 million, according to the group.

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Information from: Houston C h r o n i c l e , http://www.chron.com

On the Net: Citizens Against Government Waste, http://www.cagw.org