From sports complex to roads, (WA state Dem.) lawmakers' pet projects on rise

[TechBear_Seattle]

The Democrats promised to bring change. I'm not sure these are the kind of changes we expected.

From sports complex to roads, lawmakers' pet projects on rise

...

These projects weren't handled like the vast majority of those paid for by the state's capital budget, which totaled $4.3 billion for the 2007-09 budget cycle. They were added — or earmarked — at the request of one or more lawmakers on behalf of their constituents.

...

Earmarked spending has reached record highs since Democrats gained control of the state House, Senate and governor's office in 2004.

Since 2005, lawmakers have spent or allocated nearly $270 million on earmarks in the capital budget, which funds construction projects. That's more than was spent in the previous 15 years combined.

...

Yet state records show that districts controlled by Democrats take in twice as much money on average for earmarked projects as districts with Republican lawmakers. Districts with Democrats in leadership positions get three times as much money.

The full article can be read at http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=earmarks19m&date=20070819

If the article said this was all going to Republick districts, we would be outraged, right?

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Am I the only person who sees this as a problem?

If it were Republican lawmakers bringing home the pork, people here would be screaming. But since it is the Democrats, everything is peachy-keen? Since when do we hold legislators to different standards based solely on party affiliation?