Group Ranks House Members by Omnibus PorK?

Thu, March 05, 2009 - 6:54 PM

How do Tampa Bay area members of the U.S. House rank compare against their colleagues in getting spending set aside for favorite local projects – or so-called earmarks – in the omnibus bill now awaiting passage by the Senate?

The government watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, has just come out with a ranking.

Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores, the longest-serving Republican in the House and a member of the Appropriations Committee, is listed as tops among Bay Area representatives, and 87th among all 435 House members.

GOP Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow is ranked 231st; Democrat Kathy Castor of Tampa is ranked 249th; Republican Ginny Brown Waite of Brooksville is ranked 352nd; and Republican Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor is ranked 382nd.

Young has secured 21 projects on his own, totaling funding of $8.7 million. At least, that's according to the taxpayers group’s analysis of the $410 catch-all bill that combines nine 2009 appropriations bills.

Including all requests he’s made for projects, even those Young has made jointly with other lawmakers, Young’s total goes to 31 total projects reaching $25.9 million.

Young, the ranking Republican on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, probably would have had even higher totals. But defense appropriations are not among the nine areas included in the omnibus. Five of Florida’s other 24 House members were ranked higher.

Of the other Tampa Bay area members, the taxpayers’ group found:

-- Putnam has secured eight items on his own in the omnibus bill, totaling $3.5 million. Including requests that Putnam has made for projects in conjunction with others, his total goes to 13 total projects reaching $10.9 million;

-- Castor is credited for seven items of her own, totaling $1.7 million. Including requests made with others, her total goes to 14 projects reaching $9.7 million.

-- Brown-Waite is listed as having two projects of her own, totaling $480,000. Including requests she made with others, her total goes to seven projects reaching $4.1 million;

-- Bilirakis is given credit for two projects of his own, totaling $880,000. Including those he got in conjunction with other lawmakers, his total goes to eight projects reaching $2.2 million.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service