Ten Little Piggies
The 2009 Ohio Piglet book has many examples of wasteful government
spending in Ohio. While it is hard to choose among so much pork, there
are some especially egregious projects your tax money is funding. So here, among so much wasteful spending in Ohio, are the 2009 Ten Little Piggies:
1. Up to $80 million for Broadband to Nowhere - Before the federal stimulus bill, there was an Ohio stimulus bill which passed the General Assembly in June 2008. Among its many wasteful provisions was a "broadband to nowhere" project. There was up to $80 million included to provide broadband service to underserved areas even though the sponsor of the legislation admitted he had no idea how much of the state would qualify for this money. If the sponsor has no idea if the project is actually needed, isn't that a good reason to scrap it completely?
2. $23.3 million for e-Tech Ohio - Even though private businessmen find a way to make TV stations and radio stations and news bureaus profitable, state policymakers feel the need to give millions of dollars to "public" (read: government) TV and radio stations and to have a government-run news bureau. How objective can these government entities be in covering the news? What do you want to bet they don't mention this pork report?
3.
Millions of dollars in OSU Salaries - With over 154 employers making in
excess of $250,000 a year, OSU is certainly a nice place to work. It's
an even better place to be President, with Gordon Gee making between
$1.6 and $2 million annually. Former state House minority leader Joyce
Beatty also benefited handsomely when OSU created a special job just
for her with a salary of $320,000 a year. Go BUCK$!
4. $1.65 million for the Pro Football Hall of Fame - Apparently the 201,000 visitors in 2008 and its $60 million fundraising drive isn't enough. The Pro Football Hall of Fame wants money from Ohio's taxpayers, too. The General Assembly fumbled this one in our view, giving this popular tourist attraction $1.65 million of your money.
5. $1.3 million for Voinovich Center and Glenn School - One way to please politicians is to name things after them. Ohio University has the George Voinovich Center and the Ohio State University has the John Glenn School. Ohio taxpayers are shelling out $669,082 and $619,082, respectively, for this political brownnosing.
6. $475,000 for Chuck E. Cheese - Most businessmen try to obtain revenue through providing goods and services to customers. Others try to obtain revenue by going to the Department of Development and asking for a subsidy. The owners of the Chuck E. Cheese in Lima got $475,000 in 2008 to build his restaurant. The taxpayers got stuck with the bill. Maybe the mascot for this restaurant should be changed from a giant mouse to a giant pig.
7. $399,999 for Kroger construction - It's not only "entrepreneurs" opening mouse-themed restaurants that get corporate welfare; it's also the local grocer. A Kroger in Lucas County received $399,999 for its construction. I imagine there's a lot of pork being sold there.
8. $200,000 for the Cincinnati Ballet - Haven't acquired the taste for the ballet? Too bad, because you are paying for it. Ohio taxpayers ponied up $200,000 in 2008 so Cincinnatians can enjoy performances of Dracula, the Nutcracker, and Peter Pan.
9. $50,000 for the Johnny Appleseed Museum - A shrine to Johnny Appleseed is located at Urbana University. Some want to move it to a location in downtown Urbana. Maybe an exhibit on wasteful government spending could be included when the new museum is built.
10. $1,300 for Breakdancing - Should Ohio taxpayers pay for someone to attend breakdancing school in Brooklyn, New York? The Ohio Arts Council thinks so and gave one lucky girl $1,300 to do just that. It may not be a huge amount of money, but the sheer audacity of this project makes it a prime example of pork.
Marc Kilmer is a policy analyst with the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a research and educational institute located in Columbus, Ohio.
