Pork Bellies

Local U.S. reps and senators face scrutiny about their pet projects.

by Paul Fain

philly on the potomac

One thing we at City Paper realized during the mayoral campaign was that we really didn't know just what Bob Brady, Chaka Fattah and the rest of the Philly area's Capitol contingent were up to once they rode the Metroliner south. That had to change. And change it does today with the debut of "Philly on the Potomac," a column by University of Delaware grad and D.C.-based reporter Paul Fain. PotP will run on a monthly � or as-needed � basis.

Congress spent much of this past month arguing about whether to affix their names to 30,000 pet-spending projects in this year's budget bills. Politicians have long been fond of earmarks, the process by which they funnel money � millions and millions of it � to their home districts. The cash often funds frivolous projects, such as Republican U.S. Sen. Ted "It's Tubes!" Stevens ' $223 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska. But now that Democrats are running the show on Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans have declared war on earmarks.

Democratic leaders have cracked down on pork with new ethics guidelines, but had sought to keep secret which member had sponsored each earmark until after the House voted on the spending bills. Democrats backed off after a public backlash and agreed to disclose spending requests in all 10 remaining appropriations bills.

Philadelphia has done well with earmarks. Whether any of them can be called pork � wasteful boondoggles � depends upon whom you ask. To a congressman, a bad earmark is one introduced by someone else.

Take, for instance, the $40 million that went to the Port of Philadelphia over the last three years for a new cargo terminal catering to high-speed ships. To Sen. Arlen Specter, who championed the provision, the money was for a "state of the art" facility that could bring 7,500 jobs to the area (helped by a requirement that a Philadelphia-based company get the construction contract). To Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), it was for "unproven technology" on ships that do not and "may never exist."

Under the new rules in Washington, local representatives will have to go public with pork, even embarrassing ones like the $5.2 million that went to the Please Touch Museum in Philly between 2001 and 2005. (Referred to in the legislation as the "Please Touch Me Museum," it was inserted under the old rules and, as such, is untraceable.)

One earmark currently drawing fire was proposed by Rep. Robert E. Andrews, the New Jersey Democrat who represents Camden. Andrews wants to create a "Cold War Victory Medal" for veterans who served between 1945 and 1991. With 30 million eligible veterans and a start-up cost of $2 million, the earmark's total price tag is estimated at $32 million by 2012. In a statement, Andrews said the cold war was a "unique period in our country's history, and I believe it deserves a unique medal." The Cold War Veterans Association concurred, and praised Andrews for the earmark.

The earmark has been mocked, however, with the D.C. newspaper The Hill confusing the medal for a more sinister sounding "Cold War Metal." The newspaper reports that "it is unclear what Cold War Metal represents." Indeed.

To the Victor Goes the Spoils

In the spirit of involuntary financial disclosure, June is also the month when federal lawmakers must detail their own wealth.

U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Murphy, a 33-year-old Democrat who represents Northeast Philly and Bucks County, defeated Republican Mike Fitzpatrick last fall on an anti-war platform [News, "Murphy's Draw," Jared Goyette, Sept. 28, 2006]. In the time since, the freshman congressman, who served in Iraq as an Army paratrooper, has made waves on the Hill with his raw and aggressive style.

During a recent floor speech, he called out Republicans for their "taunts" about supporting the troops while he talked of soldiers who "return home in coffins," including 19 paratroopers he served with in Iraq. Now, Murphy plans to cash in on his military authority, having received a $100,000 book advance for Taking the Hill, according to a financial disclosure statement Murphy had to file this month.

Publishers Weekly reports that the book, which is slated for an early 2008 release by publisher Henry Holt, will include Murphy's description of his "blue-collar Philadelphia childhood and his times as the youngest professor at West Point" while also taking readers to the "front lines in Iraq, the campaign trail in Pennsylvania and the halls of Congress."

Maybe Murphy can loan some of that book money to his colleague, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah. According to Fattah's financial statement, the Philadelphia Democrat's net worth of $250,000 won't be enough to cover $600,000 in campaign debt from his failed mayoral bid.

(pfain_dc@yahoo.com)

Paul Fain is a reporter in Washington, D.C. Philly on the Potomac will sporadically appear in the news section.