Minnesota Pork Projects

There is no argument that the infrastructure in the U.S. is in need of repair, that is not the issue here.  Since the bridge disaster we have heard from the usual suspects on the left who try to associate this disaster with Bush, Iraq, and the federal government.  It's pure nonsense.

These people advocate higher taxes (once again) to provide more money for these projects, all the while ignoring the substantial amount of government waste on both the state and federal levels.  The liberal solution to almost everything is raising taxes on a certain bracket of people.  Of course they don't take into account that more money to the government means more money for the government to waste. 

I saw an article this morning that listed some of the "pork" projects that literally used billions of tax payers dollars in Minnesota.  Just a few examples:

• A new $776 million Twins Stadium to be paid for with a Hennepin County sales tax increase -- (approved by state legislators with no voter referendum)
• $34 million in subsidies to ethanol producers that have seen a 300 percent increase in profits in the last year
• $30 million for bear exhibits at the Minnesota and Como Zoos
• $12 million to renovate the Shubert Theater in downtown Minneapolis
• $1 million for a replica Vikings ship in Moorhead
• $500,000 for a skating rink in Roseville
• $310,000 for a Shakespeare festival in Winona
• $129,000 for state art grants for North Dakota museums and theaters

This is just a small sample of pork that goes on in each and every state, along with the federal government.  So would you really feel comfortable giving more of your tax dollars to the government knowing it would most likely end up being spent on projects such as the ones listed instead of the real issues that need to be address?