PORK SPENDING CRITICIZED, DEFENDED.Byline: Bill Hillburg Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Depending on how you slice it, Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Congress members Julian Dixon, Lucille Roybal-Allard Lucille Roybal-Allard (born June 12 1941), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 33rd and 34th District of California (map), which includes downtown Los Angeles. and Jerry Lewis are either wallowing in pork barrel pork barrel n. Slang A government project or appropriation that yields jobs or other benefits to a specific locale and patronage opportunities to its political representative. spending or very adept at bringing home some needed bacon. The three House members were slammed Wednesday in the ``2000 Congressional Pig Book Summary'' by Citizens Against Government Waste, a watchdog group. The book highlighted $17.7 billion in outlays from the 1999-2000 federal budget that were frivolous wastes, said CAGW CAGW Citizens Against Government Waste President Thomas A. Schatz. California ranked first among the states in terms of total pork spending with $676 million but only 29th in per-capita pork - $20.39 for each Californian compared to the $25.92 national average. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Democrats Dixon and Roybal-Allard, and Redlands Republican Lewis all defended their alleged pork as worthwhile local investments. ``I fail to understand their definition of pork,'' said Roybal-Allard. ``My definition is something that is not needed. But my projects filled tremendous needs in my district and other areas of Los Angeles.'' Said Lewis: ``I'm reminded of the saying that 'pork barrel' is that which is at least 100 miles away from your home. To critics, pork barrel spending is any kind of spending you disagree with.'' CAGW, which has been tracking federal spending since 1991, said the 1999-2000 total set an all-time record and was up 47 percent over 1998-99. Dixon endured the toughest grilling from CAGW, which gave him the ``Jurassic Pork Award'' for securing $1 million for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's planned dinosaur egg exhibit. Dixon and Allard-Roybal were criticized for jointly securing $18.2 million for the California Bureau of Narcotic narcotic, any of a number of substances that have a depressant effect on the nervous system. The chief narcotic drugs are opium, its constituents morphine and codeine, and the morphine derivative heroin. See also drug addiction and drug abuse. Enforcement's battle against methamphetamine production and trafficking; $2 million for Los Angeles' Better Educated Students for Tomorrow program, a tutoring and recreation effort; $1 million for LAPD's family violence response teams, and $500,000 for the L.A. Bridges anti-gang program. Roybal-Allard was singled out by CAGW for securing $400,000 in Housing and Urban Development Department The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the principal federal agency responsible for programs concerned with housing needs, fair housing opportunities, and improving and developing U.S. communities. money for such projects as a $200,000 youth and senior center in Maywood and a $10,000 decorative street gate for Chinatown. Lewis was criticized for a long list of local programs, including $4 million for a proton beam accelerator at Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) is a teaching hospital of Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, United States. LLUMC is home to the Venom E.R, which specializes in snake bites. , which is used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), ; $3 million to refurbish the historic San Bernardino train depot; $800,000 for the Redlands Trolley project; $500,000 for a Discovery Center attraction in Big Bear; $425,000 each for recreation programs in Highland and Yucaipa, and $250,000 for Fogelson Pool in Barstow. CAGW's designated top pig was Sen. Ted Stephens, R-Alaska, who was credited with raking in $394 million in pork - $636 for each Alaskan. |
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