McSweeney Points to Pork in “Compromise” Bill

From State Rep. David McSweeney: I was shocked to see Senator Bill Brady’s recently filed SB 2216 [see more examples than listed below], which is described as “FY 18 Member Initiatives.” Special earmarks lead to wasteful spending and potentially corruption. I … Continue reading

Honoring Dick Locher

The Sunday before, the Tribune syndicated Dick Tracy comic strip’s current creators Joe Staton and Mike Curtis honored Dick Locher for his time as chief cartoonist. Locher has retired and been honored with a statue of Dick Tracy in his … Continue reading

Lakewood’s SportsPlex Makes “Summertime Blues” Critique of Pork

Summertime Blues 100 Projects to Give Taxpayers the Blues Today, United States Senators Tom Coburn and John McCain released “Summertime Blues,” a compilation of “100 Stimulus Projects that Give Taxpayers the Blues during the Summer of Recovery.” The introduction of … Continue reading

Roland Burris Remembers McHenry County

While his senior colleague United States Senate Dick Durbin ignored McHenry County in his requests for appropriations’ earmarks, Roland Burris did not. Here’s what Burris requested: $500,000 for McHenry County, Illinois Drinking Water Quality Initiative McHenry County, Illinois McHenry County … Continue reading

Take Down of Chicago Latin King Gang Leaders In Major Federal Push

The following press release has been received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Whether it was hurried along by the horrific gang fight murder at Fenger Academy High School is anyone’s guess, but not an entirely illogical one. Perhaps today’s announcement … Continue reading

Chicago Tribune Notices $40 Million in College Pork McHenry County Blog Reported Over Two Months Ago

June 27th McHenry County Blog ran a story about Chicago State’s University got $40 million from state government to build a new campus on Chicago’s West Side. It was a travesty then and it still is now that the Chicago … Continue reading

Mike Tryon Announces Member Initiatives

Congressmen call it “earmarks.” Illinois legislators call it “member initiatives.” If it’s in someone else’s part of the country or state, people commonly call it “pork.” Whatever you call it, here is what Crystal Lake State Rep. Mike Tryon got … Continue reading

Congressional Pork – Melissa Bean and Don Manzullo; $300,000 for Turning Point

sshjIt doesn’t seem that long ago that I was writing about Washington Pork. In fact, it was last March. Let’s look at what the two congressional representatives from McHenry County are requesting in the Commerce, Justice and Science budget. (Hat … Continue reading

McHenry County Municipal, County, Etc., Pork

Besides the township road commissioner pork amounting to $1.9 million, cities and villages in McHenry County got some pork, too. Hebron is going to get $150,000 for “public safety construction and roadinfrastructure.” Pretty broadly defined, wouldn’t you say? I figure … Continue reading

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 4

Again thanks to Taxpayers for Common Sense, McHenry County Blog can give you an idea what pork in this year’s congressional budget looks like. We continue in alphabetical order. Today we are reaching the middle of the alphabetical. We cover … Continue reading

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 3

Taxpayers for Common Sense made it relatively painless to find the projects that Illinois congressmen claimed credit for in this year’s budget. We have looked at Melissa Bean’s, Jerry Costello’s, Danny Davis’ and Dick Durbin’s previously. Today we see ex-Chicago … Continue reading

Dick Durbin’s Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 2

Here’s the bacon that United States Senator Dick Durbin brought him in this year’s budget from the Health and Human Services and Labor budgets. I found it with the help of Citizens for Common Sense, which, amazingly enough, has an … Continue reading

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 1

And the pork barrels keep rolling out of Congress. Today, we look at the money tucked away in the Health and Human Services and Labor Department Budget. The date has not been provided by Congress itself in a format which … Continue reading

Illinois Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Congressional Earmarks – Part 3

In our look at pork found in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development part of this year’s budget, we have gotten through the letter “D” in the Illinois congressional delegation. The congress critters don’t make it easy. There is … Continue reading

Illinois Earmarks for Interior, Environment Bills

Pork in the Forestry Service and pork in the EPA is found in today’s report. Most is contained in the Environmental Protection Agency part of the budget. Again, McHenry County gets nothing, but 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo inserts $500,000 … Continue reading