Budget Cuts: It's Super Pork!

Speed Read: Congress and the budget

Where's Ross Perot when you need him? As the year winds down, Congress is rushing to finish doling out money to federal programs. But amid all the haggling over deficit-reduction bills, some pet projects haven't exactly been put on the chopping block.

What's happening with Alaska's infamous "Bridge to Nowhere"? In a move that seems emblematic of this year's pork-barrel propensities, Congress tucked into the transportation bill a provision that earmarks $223 million for a bridge in Alaska to connect Ketchikan and Gravina Island, where only about 50 people live. An additional $229 million was allotted for a similar project...

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