Pork in the Road

Congressional earmarking for pork money has become a huge issue in the blogosphere.  (See Pork Busters.)  It's an insidious practice and helps drive up the public debt.  Many want to put the brakes on runaway Congressional spending, but human beings being what they are, many people will oppose earmarks in general, but when their own Congressman brings pork to their home towns, they'll say, "Well, yeah, earmarks are bad and all that, but this one might be ok, 'cause you see, that little road might come in handy."

So here we have our Representative Conaway bringing home the pork.  (See Conaway wins tentative approval for road relocation near Odessa.)  Two things are involved:  a road in Odessa and equipment for the police.  Let's take the road first.

The proposal is to straighten out a road.  Now that would make it easier for the commuters using that road, but how many vehicles use that road?  If there is enough traffic then it might make sense.  Here's the MRT, quoting Mr. Conaway:

"These are not all of our requests and they have not yet passed the full House," Conaway said. "The busy industrial thoroughfare of FM 3503 passes through the petro-chemical complex adjacent to Interstate 20.

"It is listed as a facility of interest by the Department of Homeland Security and this project would relocate 3503 from the center of the complex. This roadway has two railroad crossings in addition to numerous pipelines, process facilities and other crossings.

"The relocation would connect 3503 to I-20 and John Ben Shepperd Parkway. In addition to providing safer access, it would eliminate two 90-degree turns and provide a better connection to I-20."

So is this a Homeland Security project?  Goodness, if we rerouted every road in Texas that runs by a petro-chemical complex we've got a road building project that will keep road workers employed for several generations.  And given that the main terrorist goal isn't merely to blow stuff up but to terrify us, as they did on 9/11, one wonders if a chemical plant in Odessa, Texas, really would be a likely target.

Whether this is a road to nowhere or a useful project will depend on how many people actually use that road.  And at this point we simply don't have enough information.  But to imply that it's a Homeland Security issue is a pretty big stretch.

The next item was about radios for the Midland and Odessa Police departments and deserves a post all its own.  Please check back later.

Comments

[Scrubjay]

The last I read in the San Angelo paper about Conaway's earmarks is that he is keeping them a secret except for his pork projects for the local airforce base. Is Conaway talking out of both sides of his mouth?

[Geo]

I don't know Scrubjay. But it certainly would be nice if they could pass that bill requiring full internet disclosure of all earmarks.