Earmarks

By Steve Poftak
May 2nd, 2008

The budget season is in full swing on Beacon Hill and I wanted to weigh in on one of the overlooked, but pernicious effects of earmarking. First, take a look yourself at the majestic $738 million in earmarks in the current year’s budget.

Media attention focuses on the most egregious pork barrel spending (check out the merry-go-round and its assorted brethren in 7007-0900).

But more importantly, many of the earmarks give specific instruction about what entities will provide services on the state’s behalf. Read through the list, hundreds of the earmarks go to (typically non-profit) service providers. The earmarking process shortcircuits any type of competitive procurement process, with the transparency and disclosure (and lower price/better service) it entails. Would you rather have agency staff deciding on service providers through a competitive process or legislators?