PORK IS INTENDED TO BE OUTRAGEOUS

PORK IS INTENDED TO BE OUTRAGEOUS. One reason that that pork barrel projects for a Congressman’s district are often so ridiculous is that ridiculous projects are appealing to their sponsors. What better way to demonstrate your political clout? If a project for a Congressional district is justified on the merits, what credit is due the Congressman? Perhaps what prevents pork from being a scandal is that rather than being secret, pork is advertised. Will it improve things if Congressmen are required to identify sponsorship of earmarks unrelated to their district? Yes, but probably not very much because pork is broadly acceptable to Congressmen.