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Oink, Oink
April 29, 2005
 In their rush to pass a budget on time for the first time in 20 years, state legislators didn't forget to pass the pork.
Tucked into page 683 of the Education, Labor and Public Assistance Budget Bill in the "community projects fund" account is a $200 million lump sum appropriation "[f]or services and expenses, grants in aid, or for contracts with certain not-for-profit agencies, universities, colleges, school districts, corporations, and/or municipalities." In other words, member items. There is no further detail on how the money is to be spent; in keeping with tradition, that will be decided pursuant to a "memorandum of understanding" among the budget director and the secretaries of the legislative fiscal committees.
But wait a minute: according to the state comptroller's latest monthly cash report, there was $238 million in previously appropriated member-item money sitting unused in the "community projects" fund as of February.
So here's an idea: the new pork appropriation and the money sitting in the treasury add up to $437 million, which is just about enough to restore the sales tax exemption for clothing purchases under $110 -- which legislators swear they really want to do, if only they could find the money.
So what are they waiting for?
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