Students for Prosperity today announces winners for the shameful awards called the Porky Pig Awards known as the porkies and also announce the federal and state legislators of the year. The purpose of these awards is to expose those who still embrace wasteful pork barrel spending, and honor those who live and uphold the values of Students for Prosperity and Americans for Prosperity. Without further ado here are the winners:
1. Most Porked Federal Legislator-House Appropraitions Committie Chairman, Congressman Dave Obey-D-WI 7th District
There is no debate on this one. Dave Obey promised during the 2006 congressional campaign once he became appropraitions chairman in the House, he would hold the line on pork barrel spending. Well, in March 2007, he got caught on tape on C-SPAN during an appropraitions committie hearing saying, "get those pork barrel requests onto my desk to be included in the next spending bill." This proved that he has done very little as chairman of one of the most powerful congressional committies to stopping wasteful pork barrel earmarks. Congressman Paul Ryan has called Dave Obey "The King of Pork." Therefore, making Dave Obey the 2006-2007 most porked federal legislator.
Dishonorbale Mention: Entire US Congress delegation from Alaska including Senator Ted Stevens-R-Alaska for supporting the $221 million bridge to nowhere completely funded on pork barrel spending in which has recieved a lot of heat from groups like Americans for Prosperity because it did not go through a budget request through the federal budgeting system.
2. Most Porked State Legislator-Wisconsin State Senate President Fred Risser-D-26th district-Central Madison
In the State Capital there is a lot of pork being passed, but for over the last 41 days Sen. Risser has blocked a statewide vote on the reform of banning the so-called "Frakenstien" line item veto. Banning the line item veto is necessary because right now Wisconsin has abused the use of the line item veto pen as it has been used to allow more wasteful pork barrel earmarks to a growing state budget problem. But, when the President of the State Senate blocks this necessary vote for 41days straight, while campaigning he wanted to clean up the mess in Madison proves that it is not right to block votes on necessary reforms including earmarks so therefore we make Sen. Risser the most porked state legislator.
Dishonorable Mention: State Senator John Lehman-D-Racine for failing to take action on stopping line item veto abuse by joining Sen. Risser in blocking and fillerbustering this needed reform, and failing to realize that high taxes are a major problem, not a minor problem like he said during a citizen forum in the past year.
3. Most Outrageous Earmark$228 Million for Alaska Bridge to Nowhere.
Talk about one of the most outrageous pork barrel earmarks in US History, $228 million dollars of your taxpayer money being wasted to build a bridge across an uninhabited island in which is longer than the Brooklyn Bridge and taller than the Golden Gate Bridge. For this to not go through the federal budget request and slipped through the rug is extreme, and therefore warrants this shameful award.Dishonorable Mentions : $225,000 for Beaver Dam mittigation in Wausau, Wi and $2 million for the Sparta teapot museum in South Carolina, two very wasteful uses of spending.
In the positive light, Students for Prosperity wants to honor those who embrace our mission and embrace free market economic principles.
Federal Legislators of the Year: US Rep Paul Ryan-WI-R-1st District and US Rep Henry Waxman-D-CA-30th district
We honor both Congressmen Paul Ryan and Henry Waxman as our co-federal legislators of the year for a couple reasons. One, to Rep. Waxman for taking a conservative, unrelenting approach as chairman of the House Oversight committie as he has been the one of few congressmen in the majority to achieve meaningful earmark reform. His work on the committie has done basically more work than the whole House appropraitions committie in stopping government waste, especially with defense related pork. Two, to Rep. Paul Ryan, for his work as the ranking member of the House Budget Committie for taking a stand along with Sen. Feingold to stop wasteful abuses of government spending like the Bridge to Nowhere in a new bill co-authored last month that would get meaningful support in congress, and also for his continued involvement in Students for Prosperity by being a respected, well-heard voice on talking social security with college students and young people, and also leading the charge on pork barrel spending reform.
Honorable Mentions: US Rep. Tom Petri, WI-R-6th district, US Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner-WI-5th District, US Rep. Jeff Flake-R-Arizona-6th District
State Legislator of the Year-Assembly Speaker, Rep. Mike Hubesch-R-West Salem-94th District
We would like to honor Assembly Speaker Mike Hubesch as our State Legislator of the year for his tireless work as Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker on stopping the proposed Wisconsin State Budget that if passed has serious consequences to all students, and hard working people in Wisconsin. Rep. Hubesch has continually held his promise that he will not raise taxes, and we applaud him for his leadership on protecting Wisconsin Students and Taxpayers
Honorable Mentions: State Rep. Frank Lasee-2nd District-R-Green Bay, State Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer-25th District-D-Manitowoc, State Sen. Jeff Fitzgerald-R-Beaver Dam Area-13th District, State Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald-R-39th District-Beaver Dam Area
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