What's so new about this!? All politicians are always slipping in the pork trying to get our money for stuff that we shouldn't have to pay for. I hope that Obama is serious about getting rid of pork once and for all!

Cindy..Ga.

Watching you speak to Manny Diaz highlighted what those of us who live here have been dealing with – the man has no grasp on what is important to the citizens of this city – for him Miami is glitz and glitter not reality -

The plan to jumpstart the economy by spending huge amounts of money is fraut with pitfalls. First of all investing in infrastructure projects is nothing something that can have a major and immediated impact on the economy. The planning and design process can take up to a year or more to complete. This process will have a small number of jobs created; such as ones in engineering firms. Once the plans are done the advertising and bidding process takes many months to complete. Only then, almost two years after the inception can actual construction take place along with a resultant growth in jobs. Also, as this article points out states and local governments will apply for more for some of the most outlandish projects, needed or not. Having said all that, there is a need for rebuilding our nation's infrastructure but it needs to be slow and steady effort at fixing and mainaining our infrastructure over the long haul.

Perhaps the promises during the campaign contributes to the distribution of tax "wealth"!

I wonder if the pool has certied main drains according to the Virgina Gramme Baker Act. This is the act that thousands of public pools are required to spens millions of dollars by tomorrow to abide by this act

Typical government waste.

If they are no jobs being created then how is it helping mainstreet? What an awkward silence when Mayor Diaz was asked about the million dollar water park ride in his own city! Come on, get with it!

Oink Oink!

Definately full of pork and I sincerel hope that there is an end to it with the new administration .

I usually agree with most of the programs points, but I'm not sure why some of these projects are being portrayed as "pork". What is ridiculous about a program to get prostitutes off the street, or to get more tasers to officers, or a skatepark who gives kids something to do instead of getting in trouble. Very few of these sound ridiculous to me, i.e. the waterpark ride, and I'm disappointed that this is being sensationalized. Find some better examples.

It's definitely pork. Why don't politicians get it - that what they are trying to put past the tax payer is just Wrong, Wrong, Wrong??????

PORK! There is no other word to describe this insanity.

Fix bridges; fix water treatment; make new hydroelectric plants; but water rides are nothing more than politics as usual.

I do not see zoos, amusement rides murals as pork.. I would agree that there ca be endless spending on infrastructure but there is also quality of life. A outstanding zoo brings tourists === $$$ spent in a city.. Art makes the life of citizens better....

Just what I was afraid of another free market corporate welfare program. In our cities, counties, statesand the Federal governments our tax dollars since 1998 have been spent on private sector businesses. Our businesses no longer have to go to the banks for funding when they have a business plan-they come to the taxpayers. This is new free market ideology. Come on David Gergen tell the American people about the tenets of the new 21st century free market economics. Selling all public assets to corporations so they get rich and we go deeper into poverty. It is the tenets of the free market corporatist economy, stupid!
We pay tens of millions to bribe corporations to come into our states and millions more in tax abatements.
Here is my plan: First we elect ourselves a real 'pub;ic leader' who serves the public good. Then we eliminate all tax abatements and incentives to business in our cities, counties, states and in the federal govt. Then we get rid of government-corporate partnerships and replace them with a public employees who don't commit billions of dollars of fraud as corporate contractors. These policies will save us billions. Then...

Infrastructure projects are NOT pork, even if they have to do with recreation. The WPA projects that stimulated the economy after the Great Depression were often state and national park buildings, shelters and bridges. They put people to work, and did alot of good to beautify our country and get people physically active.

Such a blatant display of corruption.... politicians willing right under our noses fill bills full of pork to once again satisfy their own agendas. Infrastructure.... to mean means roads... bridges... etc.... anything else is wasted money... or at least not what the money is intended for. Why is it these politicians cant see through the crime and corruption of politics to just do the right things?? I am sick to death of US politics.

AC, one day men and women with character to honor their oath of office will return to our government, the Miami mayor said he didnt have time to read the plan he submitted was good, what does he have a staff for, if he managed any company with a goal of success, he would be out of a job, MIAMI you see what you have, we see it in Los Angeles, and trust me, the buzz is in the air how to make a change next cycle.

When a politician says he hasn't had time to read about the proposed infrastructure projects, then that just shows you that they don't deserve to be in that position and that they are full of $#@%. That is their job to read these documents and they need to take the time to read them. Are they not a public servant? Typical politician! I'd like to meet them and help them understand what their job is and ask them why I am fighting in a war and their lazy fat @$$ is sitting at home not doing their job. This just chaps my @$$. Merry Freaking Christmas.

YES its full of pork & the mayor is 2 for holding up a book he never opened. If he's gets elected again than the citizens are full of pork too!

the sad dismissal of museum, park, and art projects....as not essential to our infrastructure ...I believe is an indication that we need to educate a vast majority of our population including the news reporter on this story......those projects are essential for our of quality life and they provide jobs for many different types of people not just in the construction trades ...but artists and designers and architects.......refine your thinking please....at the moment... it seems pretty dull......thank you

Change, what a joke. Obama might not apporove this particular list of Pork, but you can bet he will have a list of his own. Politicians exist on being able to parcel out pork which helps them get re-elected. Just look at the rating the congress has and you tell me why they get re-elected. Its for the pork. This country deserves what they voted for. I do pray that we succeed, but I really have my doubts that socialism will work since it has yet to succeed to a degree that a free people can.

Yes, this is pork! Leaders of failed businesses looking for bailouts while still laying claim to large financial packages and politicians adding pork to any kind of legislation ought to be forced to live on minimum wages for a number of years commensurate to the amount. Maybe that will finally give them a taste of the reality that many Americans are forced to live with.

Anderson, It's absolutely amazing to me how politicians can find the most outlandish projects to spend money on when we have a crumbling economy. So many of those projects can and should be dealt with at another time. Actually.. most of them should be scrapped.

Happy Holidays!
Diana

Same old pork !

Energy independence projects offer the the best return on our taxpayer investment and should be given top priority. Deferring this priority gives more funds to foreign producers and digs the US into
further debt.

Pork projects squander the limit funds the US citizens & government
have.

Delayed responsibility by everyone will cost our country dearly.

Jim

There's more PORK in that book than a Texas cook off. It is ridiculous, politics as usual. These mayors should stand in front of Congress and explain the case for their suppose it build out...lol yeah right! I want a name and face for every request in this book.

While this investment in infrastructure may seem like pork to the average american, these short-term recovery programs provide RELIEF (work) to the average american as well. These same program worked for the american people under the New Deal in the last depression. Why is there so much animosity toward them today?

Although there likely ARE a number of 'pork' projects in that report, dogs don't build dog parks and animals don't build zoos. Building these things, as well as hiking/biking trails, creates jobs. Humans have to build and maintain these facilities, both creating new jobs and helping those who are still working to keep doing so.

This is ridiculous! Seriously? Water parks, zoos, tazers? I don't see how any of these things will give us infursturcture when most people cant even afford to live in a house, let alone take their kids to zoos or waterparks! what gives these "leaders" a right to pump the average american's money into projects that probubly won't get us anywhere?

This proposal shows how out-of-touch with reality our government truly is. Our government representatives, for the most part, are all wealthy. Even some with the best of intentions cannot see the forest for the trees !! Many of us out here are worried about "simply" paying our grocery bill and our heat bill. Our government, for too long, has spent, spent, spent....money that we do not have. What can we do to stop this ? What has happened to honesty and ethics?

Almost all of the 'proposed 'shovel ready projects become nothing
more than more 'pork barrel projects' – especially now with the mess
the country's in at this time.

I was dumbfounded to hear Abbie Boudreau ask "why not" when the Mayor said he not, in fact, read through all the ELEVEN THOUSAND proposed project descriptions and look into them all.

How many did you actually read and look into when you did your "investigation" into this story?

Why don't we look at the real story of what our economy is going to need, rather than take a couple silly sounding things, which may or may not be ideal projects, to make a good story.

Oink. Oink. Oink.

Park rebuilding about the U.S. is important, does add jobs, and provides new attactions and interests for locals and visitors.

Something as simple as a new $1.5 M new ride at an amusement park, requires engineering, materials, construction to build. Once in operation people to maintain are needed(maintenance) and likewise run the ride. What do you meam this would not translate to employment? Now multiply this by hundreds of opportunities in parks accross the U.S Spells jobs for people. May not all be high paying jobs, but they are jobs, and materials are being engineered, manufactured (hopefully in U.S). etc..

Didn't sound like pork to me. All
of the projects need to be appropriately vetted before funding is approved, but the vast majority of the examples Ms. Boudreau cited seem absolutely appropriate to this average American who would like to see new and better bike paths, dog parks, zoos and the like to improve the quality of all of our lives...in addition to rebuilding bridges and roads. Note to Ms Boudreau: your rather smug interview style isn't going serve you well.

I think Mayor Diaz of Miami said it quite well when asked whether the average American would consider all those so-called infrastructure projects to be pork. His reply says it all. His words to the effect of "I don't know.... you'd have to ask the average American" perfectly sum up his elitist attitude and his complete disdain for the average American he claims to represent.

An earlier comment on this story reads: what's so new about this? The real issue is: it has to stop! I hope and pray that before one thin dime goes to any infrastructure project, the Obama team sets up strict criteria for what projects receive funding (on the basis of safety, for example, such as the repair of existing roads, bridges, rusting water pipes, etc.) and not pork. Money is much too precious now for any ounce of waste of tax payer dollars (and the need for true job creation) in this economy.

In a country noted for its generosity and compassion, it appears that in our highest places of government these virtues are sorely missing. What has happened to integrity and taking pride in a job well done? It appears that we have lost something that causes me to tear up with pride at the sound of the national anthem. What happened to the statement of JFK "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?" Why is it that politicians are more interested in earmarking funds for special interests than making lasting changes that will ensure the continuation of our great nation? How have we allowed greed to run our country as opposed to honesty and consideration for others? We each need to make a commitment to bring America back rather than party politics. We need unity as a nation! Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Your piece on the projects submitted by the nation's mayors suggested that parks and swimming pools do not constitute REAL infrastructure. I wouldn't want to live in a city that considered these projects as pork. Imagine NYC without Central Park, or with a run down 1970's version of our nation's greatest park. Not a pleasant thought.

Parks – good. Museums – good. Aquatic centers – good. This is what I want my taxes to be used for, creating a more beautiful and caring community. It's not pork as usual...it's pork for the people this time!

i just hope that the mayor of philadelphia wake up n try to make philadelphia a more better people are going carzy over the buget cut i gave him the idea to ask congress for money so we wont be in debt n it just took off now every mayor n gonvern want money i hope congress give it to thgem n they use its were its supose to be use at its really shoow when u speak up people schould try it more often

what is and is not infrastructure should be left up to each community. Why should infrastructure be limited to what you can drove a car on? I don't have a car and would rather have a dog park in my backyard than a freeway.

I'm sorry, but this is just ONE more example, that the System is broken, and Only favors the Wealthy, we are to do their bidding. It is Time to Over through the Existing Government.

The report is called "Jobs and Infrastructure Projects," its about creating jobs and building infrastructure. Do you think an unemployed construction worker cares if the job is building a waterslide or repaving a road? What's important is that people can start getting paychecks so that they can keep their homes, feed their families, and contribute to the tax base. Sure, let's make sure we are funding projects that are building needed infrastructure, but job creation can be a great goal in of itself. More jobs means more money means more spending means more jobs.

Pork.... This idea should be the difinition of PORK. It's like the auto industry, Rather than give them a bunch of money, Give us back our money and we can better afford to buy a new car.

These Governors better wakeup because Obama ain't going for the same old failures they've been using for years. They have been put on notice and now we will find out whose incompetent. These Governors better stop wining and dining themselves and stop throwing together anything because it ain't going to fly anymore.

What about the rest of us Americans not living in these pork spending areas. When does the wealth trickle to us in the small towns and rural areas in America. When do the employment opportunities start trickling to us.

Are skateboard parks, bike paths, and public arts really things that should have been highlighted in this report as wasteful spending?

Perhaps these projects won't kickstart the economy (and in that context I can understand that they would be missing the mark of the mayors' "Mainstreet..." plan) but to simply refer to the aforementioned projects as "pork" is to grossly downplay the importance of such things. It's sad that things like that have to be reconsidered in these tough economic times.

I hope that when our economic outlook isn't so bleak, such things won't be seen as extraneous or wasteful.

What happened to the tens of thousands of bridges and levees in need of urgent repair?

The Mayor who is looking for Federal money for the water park is not smart enough to know what the average citizen feels about his project

I am a tax paying citizen, and I think that the projects highlighted on your program sound great. Even if they are not about jobs or infrastructure, it sounds like most of them will benefit taxpayers in enjoyment. I think it would be great if the federal government would fund renovations to zoos and parks and murals (read art as opposed to grafitti) and skateparks. If we're going to reinvest in our economy than 'the kids' need something more constructive to do than scoring pot and shooting oxycontin.

I'm not as amazed at all the pork being slipped into legitimate requests as much as I am at our public officials being so out of touch with the people they represent. I'm astounded at how many of our elected officials have been born into a vacuum and kept isolated their entire lives? It''s time they stop taking so many free junkits and walk the streets of their cities and start talking to those who put them there.

They need a shot of reality and we need to make them accountable to represent us in an evenhanded way. Perhaps we need to examine what our public officials make, what they receive in benefits/pensions when they leave office, they may think twice about who they work for.

Infrastructure needs to be considered braodly for our country to thrive – public parks, zoos, schools, internet availability, AND crumbling traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges must all be considered public infrastructure and cared for accordingly. Projects should be considered individually and funded according to their impact on not only job creation but their contribution to the improvement of public saftey and long term well being of the country.

No, it doesn't sound like pork to me. These mayors are making an honest attempt to find work for their citizens, with a residual effect of benefitting the population at large.

The real problem I see is with your "gotcha" journalism, trying to find fault where there is none. Don't you have anything better to do?