Pork Report, February 1: Wine and Dine Edition

Senators vote against eliminating government waste and duplication, including reducing Congress’ budget for itself, while proclaiming “the United States is prepared to stand up and deal with this debt threat”

Taxpayers billed $1,000 per week for booze and other “in-flight services” for the Speaker of the House that “read like a dream order for a wild frat party”

Hundreds of convicted criminals may have been hired by the U.S. Census Bureau

California wine trail will be getting signs, a new map and an iPhone application thanks to a $98,500 federal stimulus grant given to the Monterey County Growers and Vintners Association

Federal stimulus funds supporting Napa Valley Wine Train, despite local opposition

The federal government “likely overspent by millions” when it negotiated a no bid contract for the $54 million Wine Train stimulus project

The pork bell curve: Boston College has more than doubled what it spends on lobbying and, according to the college’s spokesman, “our earmarks have increased since we started paying [the lobbyists] more.”

The Wine Institute receives $7 million grant to promote wine in foreign countries; Raisin Administrative Committee receives $3 million and the California Walnut Commission pulls in $4.5 million

Bad publicity leads martini & wine bar to withdraw from contract for $25,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant Recovery stimulus funding

A year after the city claimed it needed a billion dollars from the federal government for subway safety upgrades, the District of Columbia spends federal stimulus funds intended for transportation projects to replace garage escalators

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