Commentary

Infrastructure Stimulus, Pork and Bridges to Nowhere

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Reason Foundation Founder Robert Poole’s op-ed details the pork projects disguised as infrastructure stimulus. Poole finds the country’s mayors have listed their ‘infrastructure’ requests and writes:

A wish list that is 11,391 projects strong! What vital infrastructure projects would cash-strapped taxpayers get for their $73 billion? Here’s a sampling: – Hercules, Calif., wants $2.5 million in hard-earned taxpayer money for a “Waterfront Duck Pond Park,” and another $200,000 for a dog park. – Euless, Texas, wants $15 million for the Midway Park Family Life Center, which, you’ll be glad to note, includes both a senior center and aquatic facility. – Natchez, Miss., “needs” a new $9.5 million sports complex “which would allow our city to host major regional and national sports tournaments.” – Henderson, Nev., is asking for $20 million to help “develop a 60 acre multi-use sports field complex.” – Brigham City, Utah, wants $15 million for a sports park. – Arlington, Texas, needs $4 million to expand its tennis center. – Miami, Fla., needs $15 million for a “Moore Park Community Center, Tennis Center and Day Care” facility. The city is also desperate for $3.6 million to build a covered basketball court and a new tennis court at Robert King High Park. Then there’s the $94 million Orange Bowl parking garage you are being asked to pay for. – La Porte, Texas, wants $7.6 million for a “Life Style Center.” And Oakland, Calif., needs $1 million for Fruitvale Latino Cultural and Performing Arts Center. And you thought infrastructure investment meant roads, bridges and schools. It is clear that any infrastructure stimulus money given to the country’s mayors will lead to thousands of tennis centers to nowhere.

Full column here.