Quote:It's not the voters in the States. It's usually not the legislature of the States either. For example, Minnesota representative Jim Oberstar added in an earmark for Cambridge-Isanti Bike/Walk Trail for $686,000. So, 15 years ago some people thought it would be nice. Some students raised $1200, and after years of political juggling, finally someone went to ask Father Christmas Jim Oberstar for the money to do this. To add some context, Isanti is a town of 5,485 people and Cambridge is of a similar size or maybe slightly larger. They are about 8 miles apart, or a 10 minute drive.
Here is a list of earmarks by state from the Office of Management and Budget.
As anyone who has ever managed infrastructure knows. Buying the item is only the beginning. There is a maintenance cost, and for many items an eventual replacement cost. So, for example the billions of dollars that the fed have pumped into the Minneapolis light rail system have only built the beast. It is not a profitable system, and the cost of feeding and maintaining it will eventually be shouldered by Minnesota tax payers. Unless our pork fed congress people continue to bring home the bacon to support light rail on the backs of the entire nation. So, thanks to all the people in the USA, we get our boondoggles.
Perhaps in time the cost will be shouldered by the local taxpayer. Perhaps it isn't a wise move at all, although I'm sure that varies considerably from project to project. However, many, probably most, voters measure a politician's success by the prosperity they've brought in the last few years, and the projects they can point to as their legacy. That's shiny and attractive, all the way from the US congress down the chain to the state governments and to a local level. Pointing to your iron discipline in keeping money away from the community, on the other hand, is a tough sell. It's asking your community to stop grazing their cows in order to help stop the tragedy of the commons.
-Jester