Earmarks are forever

WASHINGTON -- They say love is forever, but then so too are congressional earmarks. Some survive long after their patrons leave Capitol Hill.

To wit, tucked away in the $410 billion spending bill that Congress finally wrapped up last week were four earmarks that former Rep. Jon Porter put in last year.

Porter, of course, is nowhere around to claim credit (or field criticism) for the $788,440 in earmarked spending. He was defeated for re-election by Democrat Rep. Dina Titus last November.

Porter at least made out better than one former congressman. After Jay Dickey, a Republican from Arkansas, was defeated for re-election in 2000, leaders on the House Appropriations Committee nullified his earmarks and divvied up the money elsewhere.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, here are Porter's earmarks.

-- $52,440 to the Southern Nevada Transit Coalition for "buses and bus facilities."

-- $238,000 to the Clark County School District for teacher mentoring.

-- $428,000 to Nevada State College in Henderson to buy equipment for its nursing program.

-- $70,000 for Nevada Child Seekers, a nonprofit that tracks missing youngsters.