Today's Washington Examiner posted an editorial about a Harvard Business School study of the effects of pork barrel projects on local businesses. The researchers at Harvard studied forty years of data to see what effect kickbacks like the "Louisiana Purchase" and "Cornhusker Kickback" have on the businesses in their areas. The study began with the assumption that when a senator was given a powerful committee assignment, he would begin the channel pork back to his state. It was also assumed that the businesses in that state would benefit from this action. Well, that's not what they found out.
According to the article:
"In fact, the study found that in the years following a congressman acquiring a powerful committee assignment, the average company in his state cut back capital expenditures by 15 percent. In one prominent example, Alabama went from receiving $6 million less in annual earmark spending than other states to $90 million above the state average after Republican Sen. Richard Shelby assumed the chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1997. Shelby earmarked $15 million for low-cost fabricated housing, but the study found that one of Alabama's largest suppliers of this housing, Homes Inc., correspondingly reduced capital expenditures by 79.5 percent and downsized its work force by 30 percent."
Essentially, the study found that federal spending distorts the free market and is not good for the economy. This is not good news for Senators attempting to win re-election by 'bringing home the bacon', but if the word of this study gets out, it may be very good news for American taxpayers!
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