The Hindu Business Line : The price of political profligacy and nepotism

With the change of guard, we will have a fair mix of both in the days to come, but those who are against raking up muck that was generated by the earlier regime are either too good-hearted or fear a sword that may one day boomerang.

However, for people who have voted for change, it is necessary that full rewards of the churning are reaped, even if it meant devoting an army of officers to the job of taking a relook at the files that have been closed, monies paid, and fortunes made.

I have a booklet, sent in by Mark Carpenter. It has been produced by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) of the US - a non-profit, nonpartisan organisation with "a mission to eliminate waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in the federal government".

Weirdly, the publication is called Pig Book Summary. Subject matter is all `pork' - those expenditures that are added after the normal budget process, with the aim of helping a particular group instead of the nation as a whole.

National average, that is pork per capita, is $31.17; State-wise, Alaska leads with $808.13, Hawaii comes second with about $400, and District of Columbia a third. The intro begins thus: "During election years, politicians make speeches about how concerned they are with wasteful spending, the deficit, and the fiscal woes of the nation." Does that sound something closer home too?

"But as soon as the television cameras are turned off, they brag about the pork they are bringing home to their state or district."

Well, that again, is too true, what with those who are supposed to represent an entire nation bragging about what they are doing to `their' State. This `hypocrisy' adds to deficit and national debt, even as their constituencies are happy with `their' man at the Centre. The book summarises "630 projects, totalling $3.1 billion" - the ones that symbolise "the most egregious and blatant examples of pork."

The `milking' projects are classified under agriculture, defence, labour, transport, education and so forth.

Examples include $100,000 for restoring a historic Coca-Cola building, $50 million for an indoor rainforest, $2.25 million for various Shakespeare-related projects, $15 million for overseas dairy development programmes, $225,000 for grazing research, $621,000 for agriculture waste utilisation, $160,000 for poultry litter composting, $500,000 for marine debris removal, and so on.

Essential read for our political bosses because it can put in them a fear of what can be unearthed at a later date.

On second thoughts, however, I think I should not let the book reach the tables of our politicians.

My fear is whether they would enrich their database of ideas with new things such as `oyster recovery', `current and tide data', `forensic laboratory', `golf and character education' and such.

There are innovatively worded items too: "$2,000,000 added for Seniors vs Marketing Scams", but the book comments: "It appears as though seniors are not the only ones being taken for a ride."

Any takers for the idea for forming a `citizens against waste' group here?

E&OE@thehindu.co.in

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