Don’t they get it?

Lawmakers at the state and federal levels continue to spend likethere’s no tomorrow, committing taxpayer dollars to projects leftand right.

Mississippi legislators, in a recent 11-day special session,passed a contentious bond bill to fund projects in the state.

Gov. Haley Barbour initially sought approval for $108 millionfor economic development, primarily for Northrop Grumman to expandits shipbuilding operations on the Gulf Coast.

By the time the bill had cleared the Senate and House, it hadballooned to $456 million – more than four times what Barbour askedfor.

In the next session, the Mississippi Legislature must find a wayto pay the $503 million Ayers college desegregation lawsuitsettlement. Lawmakers also may consider already-promised teacherpay raises as well as salary increases for other state employees.Add to this any unforeseen expenses – and there always are – andyou have the makings for a train wreck.

At a time when the state faces economic uncertainty, lawmakersmust exercise more restraint and make tough, sometimes unpopular,economic decisions. Unfortunately, they show no intentions of doingso.

As the state Legislature wrapped up its special session lastweek, lawmakers in the nation’s capitol put on a painful a show oftheir own.

Congress passed a $2.4 trillion budget for fiscal 2005,including a record $25 billion for “pork” projects, those localprojects paid for by federal funding.

Among the more, shall we say, interesting project:

* $1.1 million for “alternate salmon products” in Alaska.

* $700,000 for the Paper Hall of Fame in Wisconsin

* $1 million to convert animal waste into energy inMissouri.

* $50,000 for feral hog control, also in Missiouri.

* $3 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York.

Consider this: $25 billion is more than twice the $12 billionannual budget of the entire State Department. The taxpayers ofAmerica are spending more on local projects of questionablesignificance than on our nation’s diplomatic relations abroad.

While we acknowledge many projects that receive governmentfunding – both federal and state – are worthy endeavors, we astaxpayers must insist on our elected representatives judging theirworthiness with the strictest scrutiny.

It is, after all, our money. And as our mothers told uscountless times as children, it doesn’t grow on trees.