Ryan takes moral high ground on earmarkswhile rest of Wisconsin reaps $72.5 million

OK, we're really conflicted.

Philosophically, we agree with U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan when he says Congress should start practicing fiscal accountability and stop slipping earmarked spending bills into every other measure.

Ryan, R-WI, 1st District, long a proponent of earmark reform, yesterday signed a new reform pledge to boost transparency and demand higher standards from members of Congress regarding earmark requests. Among its provisions: disclosure of any earmarks a week before the bill comes to the floor, a promise not to direct funds to any entity not requested by a federal agency, a prohibition on earmarks that don't serve a federal interest, and so on ... 10 provisions in all.

Ryan's press release touting the pledge quotes from both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal (strange bedfellows to find on the same side of any issue) on the evils of earmarks:

“Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request.” --New York Times, Nov. 4.

“A review ... of dozens of such contracts funded by (U.S. Rep. John) Murtha’s committee shows that many weren’t sought by the military or federal agencies they were intended to benefit. Some were inefficient or mismanaged, according to interviews, public records and previously unpublished Pentagon audits. " -- Wall Street Journal, Oct. 30.

Says Ryan: “It has become all too clear, with every new media report on abusive, special-interest spending in Washington, that we have to drain this earmark swamp. For citizens to regain faith in their government, we have to change the way Congress spends taxpayer dollars. This earmark reform pledge is helpful because it calls on lawmakers to make sure that any earmarks are subject to intense scrutiny and meet strict standards. The point is to prevent abusive earmarks, change the culture that has allowed spending bills to become a wish-list for powerful members of Congress, and save taxpayer dollars in the process.”

So, why are we conflicted? Because while Ryan climbs on this white charger, other members of congress are delivering dollars -- bundles, bags and truckloads of dollars -- to their districts. A simple search through EarmarkWatch.org produces a list of almost two dozen earmark spending measures within the 2008 House Defense Appropriations bill that will bring $72.5 million to Wisconsin.

$72,500,000! None of it coming here.

No doubt, some of that is pure unadulterated pork. But can't we stop the flow after some of it trickles into this district?

Here's the list of defense bill earmarks coming to Wisconsin, along with their sponsors. You decide whether they're all waste and fraud waiting to happen ... or whether you'd like a piece of them first, before completely turning off the tap:

"$4,000,000 to Fairbanks Morse Engine for LSD-41/49 Diesel Engine Low Load Upgrade Kit" --Sponsor: Rep. Baldwin (D-WI)

"$2,000,000 to Alfalight Inc. for High Brightness Diode-pumped Fiber Laser (HiBriD-FL)" --Sponsor: Rep. Baldwin (D-WI)

"$1,500,000 to ConjuGon for Wound Infection Treatment Program" --Sponsor: Rep. Baldwin (D-WI)

"$500,000 to Multiple Recipients for Solid-State DC Protection System (SSDCP)" --Sponsors: Rep. Bartlett (R-MD) Rep. Meehan (D-MA) Rep. Moore (D-WI) Rep. Murphy (D-CT)

"$500,000 to Multiple Recipients for Solid-State DC Protection System (SSDCP)" --Sponsors: Rep. Bartlett (R-MD) Rep. Meehan (D-MA) Rep. Moore (D-WI) Rep. Murphy (D-CT)

"$500,000 to Multiple Recipients for Natural Gas Firetube Boiler Demonstration" --Sponsors: Rep. Davis (D-CA) Rep. Moore (D-WI)

"$2,000,000 to Appleton Papers, Inc for Flame & Thermal Protection for Individual Soldier" --Sponsor: Rep. Kagen (D-WI)

"$2,000,000 to Utility Tool & Trailers for High Performance Aluminum Structures and Components" --Sponsor: Rep. Kagen (D-WI)

"$1,000,000 to Utility Tool & Trailers for High Performance Aluminum Military Trailers" --Sponsor: Rep. Kagen (D-WI)

"$2,000,000 to KT Engineering, Inc. for Radially Segmented Launch Vehicle (RSLV) Risk Reduction Program" --Sponsor: Rep. Kind (D-WI)

"$2,000,000 to Philips Plastics Corp for Revolutionary Self Sealing Plastic Enclosures for Military Batteries" --Sponsor: Rep. Kind (D-WI)

"$500,000 to Vantus Corporation for Personalized Orthopedic Implants for Combat Trauma induced orthopedic Surgery" --Sponsor: Rep. Moore (D-WI)

"$10,000,000 to Nobles Manufacturing for Modular Advanced Ultra Light Weapons System Prototype Mount" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$5,000,000 to SGI for Next Generation Supercomputer IA Prototype for the NRL" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$5,000,000 to University of Wisconsin-Superior for One-Step JP-8 Bio Diesel Fuel" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$5,000,000 to Pliant Corporation for Ration Packaging Materials and Systems for Meals Ready-to-Eat" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$5,000,000 to Clover Hydraulics for Ruggedized Cylinders for Expandable Mobile Shelters" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$5,000,000 to Resilient Technologies for Spring-Suspended Airless Tires for Convoy Protection" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$4,000,000 to Resonant Microsystems for Nanotechnology Fuze-on-a-Chip" --
Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$4,000,000 to Rex Systems Inc. for Sustainability of AN/SPS-49 Common Signal Data Processor" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$4,000,000 to McNally Industries for Technologies for Military Equipment Replenishment" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$3,000,000 to American Plastic Inc. for Multifunctional Protective Packaging Technology" --Sponsor: Rep. Obey (D-WI)

"$4,000,000 to John Deere Horicon Works for M-Gator" --Sponsor: Rep. Petri (R-WI)

You decide: You want a piece of these ... or the moral high ground?