Utah's share of pork aid is 18th

WASHINGTON — More than $97 million of federal spending in Utah has been classified as "pork" in the annual Pig Book released Wednesday by the Citizens Against Government Waste.

Utah ranked 18th in "pork per capita," six slots higher than last year, according to the report, with $97.6 million in federal spending on a variety of programs or about $39.51 per person. The national average in spending is $30.55 per person.

The group deems a program "pork" when it meets one of seven criteria, but the group says most items in the report meet at least two. The program must be requested by only one chamber of Congress, not specifically authorized, not competitively awarded, not requested by the president, "greatly exceeds" the White House's budget request or what the program has received in the past and serves only a local or special interest.

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

CAGW has done the report for 16 years and Wednesday's press conference included two live pigs and a person in a hot pink pig costume. The report names 88 items for Utah as pork.

The report summary highlights several programs in Utah, mainly attributed to the fact Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee and is chairman of its Agriculture Subcommittee.

The report points to $14.19 million for projects in Utah in the Agriculture Spending bill, including: $5 million for the Utah Conservation Initiative; $3 million for the Washington Fields project; $900,000 for botanical research; and $545,000 for advanced computing research and education.

The bill also included $300,000 for the Oquirrh Institute. CAGW's Web site says the institute's mission is to shine early light on public-policy dilemmas and establish innovative solutions. The Oquirrh Institute, headquartered in Murray, is currently involved in four areas of concentration: Moving to competency-measured education, improving environmental management, advancing health information and research and enhancing governance through technology. But the Agriculture Department says there is no completion date on the project yet.

"A total of $500 has been raised from corporations and foundations," according to the Pig Book. "Taxpayers have 'contributed' $550,000 to Oquirrh since 2004."