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.