We’re afraid it’s not going to be very popular to say it, but it is not only “other” cities and counties around the nation that seek and sometimes get pork-barrel funds from the federal government.
You might have read recently in the Times Free Press about a list of local and regional projects for which Hamilton County may seek millions of dollars in federal funding.
Among the projects on the list is $4.5 million to extend the Tennessee Riverwalk. We are certainly big fans of the beautiful Riverwalk, and it is popular with tourists and residents alike. There is much to be said for extending it.
We can’t blame local officials for seeking federal money which, if it is not spent here, is going to be spent in other cities or counties.
But we simply cannot find any provision in our nation’s Constitution under which federal taxpayers from across the nation should pay the cost of extending the Riverwalk.