As members of the House's VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Reps. Anne Northup (R-Ky.) and Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) secure millions of dollars in unauthorized earmarks for their states during the annual appropriations process.  But these two inventive legislators have recently pioneered a new scheme that is making even some of their colleagues blanch: establishing nonprofit foundations in their home districts to which they are now quietly allocating taxpayers dollars.  For this new pork-barrel outrage, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) names Reps. Northup and Mollohan the May Porkers of the Month. 

Rep. Northup helped secure 42 unauthorized earmarks worth $25.8 million for Louisville, Kentucky for 2002.  That is 22 percent of the 187 pork projects in Kentucky, and 9 percent of Kentucky's $282 million worth of pork spending.  Nestled among those 42 projects is a $3 million appropriation for the Louisville Neighborhood Initiative, a nonprofit established by Northup herself in 2000.  According to USA Today, Northup not only named herself as a director of the organization, but the chairman of the board is a campaign donor.  While some of these grants may help people, they also act as a clever reminder to the people of Louisville of Northup's philanthropy, phony as it may be. 

The state of West Virginia's pork prowess is legendary.  Even though Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is the leading man in the state's pork melodrama, best supporting actor should go to Mollohan.  Ensconced in this year's 8,341 total of federal pork projects was a seemingly benign $6 million appropriation for the Vandalia Heritage Foundation for community development.  What the fine print doesn't mention is that Mollohan actually created this nonprofit to fix up aging buildings in his district.  In addition, Mollohan's project director sits on the Vandalia board of directors.

What's next?  Are members of Congress going to start their own for-profit businesses so they can funnel grant money to them?

The biggest fear of this practice can be best summed up in Northup's own words to USA Today, "I would encourage anybody to do this."  Looking on the bright side of this big government hubris, since appropriators apparently know best how to spend money for local development and charity, perhaps there is no longer need for agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

There is an adage that charity begins at home.  That should be updated to read that charity begins and ends at home.  For their innovative pork barreling, CAGW names Reps. Northup and Mollohan its May 2002 Porkers of the Month.