Bad News, Bad News

     Depending on how you look at it, the list in The Washington Post story is either bad news for Alabama, or bad news for Alabama.

      It's a list of pork...the Top Ten States to which pork flows from Washington.

      Here 'ya go:

Top 10 states, per capita earmarks



Hawaii, $318

North Dakota, $234

West Virginia, $174

Vermont, $161

Mississippi, $142

Alaska, $140

Montana, $125

South Dakota, $112

Rhode Island, $79

Nevada, $79



Source: Taxpayers for Common Sense, fiscal 2010



     What? NO ALABAMA??? How many times have we been told what a great job our Congressional Delegation has been doing bringing dollars back from Washington? Where's Tom Bevill when we need him?

     On the other hand, since so many Alabama voters rail against pork and want a smaller Federal budget, perhaps we should be happy that our fine House and Senate members have wisely not brought home too much bacon?

And by the way, this is one instance in which I think using a per capita figure to compare states distorts the results. Raw numbers might be better here, no? And they  might show Alabama for the pork magnet she really is.



(Thanks to reader GJB in the absolute Pork Capitol, West Virginia, for pointing out this WP story to me!)