Comments on: Alabama pork report

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:21:53 +0000

Thanks for the list. All the things listed by walt would certainly be labelled “pork” by most people if it were happening in another state.

By: walt moffett

walt moffett — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:20:34 +0000

when cowering under the bed while the house burns down, I’d think money spent so a volunteer can drag my carcass out is not pork. In my area, properly equipped professionals are 30-45 minutes and a mutual assist phone call away, the VFD is 5-10 minutes away.

Little River Canyon while beautiful was largely private land slowly filling with trash until it was decided to make it part of the national park service, I view it as pork. Private citizens could have raised the money on their own to buy it, clean it out and recouped thru fees.

The Austral funding is a mixed case. Money was not awarded on a competitive bid, but more like a retainer fee. Warships can not be built by just anyone and I’d rather not see the Navy dependent on foreign shipyards, yet there other shipyards with better records.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:31:08 +0000

Yes, yes (unless it is a federal park), and yes (if it is not a competitive procurement).

By: walt moffett

walt moffett — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:47:47 +0000

Then there is question of is it pork for a VFD to get federal money to buy new turn out gear or is it pork to clean up and maintain Little River Canyon? Is it pork when the Navy sends about $30M to keep a ship builder running?

In the end, like porn, its all in the eye of the beholder.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:04:38 +0000

Unfortunately I’m sure you’re right.

By: walt moffett

walt moffett — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:29:21 +0000

Thanks for the work. Yet, I am not convinced this is all the pork.