Know your state's earmarks. Easy database. Where your money goes.

[madfloridian]

Several groups are working together to get a handle on where all the money is going. I happen to like this site as it is easy to navigate.

First, understand earmarks.

"Earmarks in US spending legislation
In the United States legislative budget process, Congress has the power to earmark (designate) funds it appropriates (revenue) to be spent on specific named projects. This differs from the normal practice where Congress grants a lump sum to an agency to allocate entirely at its discretion, according to the agency's internal budgeting process. Earmarks tie the hands of agency bureaucrats, obliging them to spend a portion of the budget on special projects chosen by politicians.

Earmarking became notorious in 2005 when $223 million was earmarked to construct a bridge nicknamed the Bridge to Nowhere, to connect an Alaskan town of 8,900 to an island of 50 inhabitants (saving a short ferry ride). In the ensuing uproar the earmark was removed, but the Alaska government apparently still has the authority to spend the funds on the bridge if it so chooses."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earmark

I was amazed that Florida has such a large amount allocated to earmarks. $29,575,000. I intend to check a couple of them out. They are huge amounts. There is so much of it going to private entities that it surprised me Here is the link to the Florida earmarks...for your own state just scroll down to the bottom.

http://www.examiner.com/earmarks/florida.html

Some of the largest were:

$3,000,000 Melbourne Florida Institute of Technology, for facilities and equipment for the Autism Treatment and Research Center

$1,000,000 St. Petersburg St. Petersburg College for facilities and equipment for the Orthotics and Prosthetics program

$750,000 Miami University of Miami for facilities and equipment for the Center for Research in Medical Education

$750,000 Cocoa Brevard Community College for telecommunications equipment

$650,000 Pensacola Baptist Health Care for facilities and equipment for the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fl

$550,000 University of South Florida for graduate training in orthotics and prosthetics

$500,000 Fort Lauderdale School Board of Broward County for teacher support and development

$500,000 St. Petersburg Florida Holocaust Museum to support ongoing museum operations, educational programming, outreach, and collection preservation and preservation

Many others, some seem fine, some seem a little much.