Correction: Bills Passed To Date Are 74%, Not 55%

In last post I indicated that data for 45% of appropriations had not yet been approved by Committee (I.E. 55% of bills had been passed and data entered)

That wasn't correct. While the data for more bills had been entered into the "08 Oregon Data" worksheet, I failed to update the count of bills in the "Contents and Summary" worksheet which is the source of my percentages calculation.

The "Contents and Summary" worksheet in the Excel workbook has now been updated to accurately reflect that data for 76% of all appropriations bills is available, leaving data to be entered for 26% of all bills once bills have passed through appropriate committee and data becomes available. All other worksheets in the workbook remain the same.

Oregon FY 2008 Earmarks Reach $470 Million, 18 Times FY 2007 Level, With 45% of Appropriations Bills Still to Come.

Earmarks for the HUD/Transportation bill in both the House and Senate, and the Senate State and Foreign Operations bill have been added to the Oregon FY 2008 earmarks database. With 55% of Committee action on agency appropriations bills completed, Oregon FY 2008 earmarks jumped to $470 Million compared to reported FY 2007 earmarks of $25.73M. Thus, Oregon earmarks for FY 2008 are already 18 times the FY 2007 level, or a 1727% increase in one year.

Download a PDF version of this posting, with a table showing subtotals by Oregon Representative, Senator, and the President here.

Download a comprehensive MS Excel Oregon earmark database with details on ALL Oregon earmarks to date for FY 2008 here.

HUD Oregon Earmarks:$2.5M; Only 3 of 9 Earmarks are in both House and Senate Bills; Hooley’s first earmark appears.

An analysis of HUD earmarks from the HUD /Transportation bills shows that HUD earmarks total $2.5 M, with the House at $.7M and the Senate at $1.8M.

Of the total of 9 earmarks in the bills, only 3 are found in both bills. The first earmark from Representative from Darlene Hooley has also appeared.

A PDF version of this article, with a table showing all HUD Oregon earmarks , is here.

FY 2008 Oregon Federal Earmark Costs So Far: Equivalent to a Tax of $246 Per Oregon Household

The latest HUD/Transportation earmarks for Oregon projects pushed Oregon earmarks above $351 Million. To try to put this cost in perspective, I did some research and found that the latest Census Bureau estimate is that Oregon has 1,425,340 households.

Using my fingers, toes, and a calculator, the current cost per Oregon household for FY 2008 earmarks thus now exceeds $246 per Oregon household.

With about 1/3^rd of the appropriations bills yet to emerge from Committee, it appears quite possible that the costs of Oregon earmarks could rise close to , or exceed, $300 per Oregon household.

Senate HUD Transportation Appropriations Report Preliminary Review—$93.7M More in Earmarks; $351 Million in FY’08 Earmarks Now Nearly 14 Times FY 2007

Several days after the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the HUD Transportation bill a Senate Report has finally appeared on the web here. (As of this morning , no actual bill was posted but appears that bill number will be S.1789).

A preliminary review indicates that Oregon earmarks total $93.7 Million, bringing the total earmarks to date to Oregon to $350,774 Million, nearly 14 times the FY 2007 level of $25.73 Million.

Oregon earmarks include $750,000 in additional earmarks for a “prototype streetcar “; $500,000 for a Umatilla Fairground Exposition Center, and $80M for South Corridor Portland Mall light rail project.

I have posted a preliminary list of all Oregon HUD/Transportation Senate earmarks as a PDF file here.

CNN database indicates Walden only OR. Rep to disclose his earmark requests to date—100 requests for $155 Million+; Hooley Has Zero Requests.

According to a database maintained by CNN as of July 13, Greg Walden was the sole Oregon Representative to disclose his list of earmark requests, here. Walden was not shy in his request for 100 earmarks, totaling some $155 Million, WITHOUT an additional significant earmark for “full funding” or county timber payments.

(The CNN database does not yet appear to attempt to capture earmark disclosure status for the Senate , although those requests are to date far higher than Representatives. To see the CNN database for Representatives look for the link with this CNN story here).

In reviewing the exclusive Oregon Earmarks Blog Excel database here, through July 13, Darlene Hooley was the only member of Oregon’s congressional delegation without a single earmark in the two House appropriations bills passed by committees to date.

Update: Senate Energy Water Bill Surges Earmarks to 10 Times 2007 Levels

The Senate Energy and Water Bill has added a total of $170 Million in additional Oregon earmarks.

This "surge" of 59 energy and water projects pushes the total House and Senate Oregon Earmarks for FY 2008 to $257 Million compared to reported FY 2007 earmarks of $25.73M.

Thus, with about 2/3rds of FY 2008 appropriation bills passed, Oregon earmarks for FY 2008 are 10 times the FY 2007 level, or an 899% increase in one year.

Download a PDF version of this posting, with a table showing subtotals by representative, Senator , and the President here.

Download a comprehensive MS Excel Oregon earmark database with details on ALL Oregon earmarks to date for FY 2008 here.

Oregon 2008 Earmarks are Already 235% Higher Than in FY 2007

Oregon FY 2008 Congressional Appropriations Earmarks Total More than $86 Million--$60.4 Million Higher Than the Total in ALL FY 2007 Appropriations Bills

Current FY 2008 Bills to Date: $86.165 Million.
ALL Bills, FY 2007: $25.730 Million.

FY 2008 Appropriations Bills to Date

SENATE: 5 Bills; Interior and Environment, Commerce and Justice, Labor and HHS, Homeland Security, Military Construction /VA.

HOUSE: 2 Bills; Financial Services, Interior and Environment.

House $57,403,000

Senate $26,962,000

Total $86,165,000

Exclusive Oregon Earmark Blog Downloads Available:

1. For a PDF version of this article with an added summary table showing earmarks by individual Representative, Senator, or from the President, go here.

2. Find a new comprehensive MS Excel workbook with pivot tables, and details for all Oregon earmarks, created exclusively for the Oregon Earmarks Blog, here.