Last week’s debate for the open US Senate seat featured a sharp dispute over congressional earmarks, the process by which representatives designate money in the federal budget for local goodies.
Representative Michael E. Capuano came out most strongly in favor of the process as a way to use the nation’s elected representatives to divvy out tax dollars to deserving local projects.
“My earmarks are all on my website,’’ Capuano said at one point. “I’m very proud of them if you want to know the truth.’’
But a new study out last week from an advocacy group cast a harsh light on what that process does to our transportation system.
The study from the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group said most transportation earmarks go to new highways, lane widening, and other construction rather than to fixing the nation’s stock of 73,000 structurally deficient bridges.
Nationally, just 74 of 704 transportation earmarks went to repair or maintenance for a bridge, tunnel, or overpass, according to the report. That includes just one of 17 earmarks in Massachusetts, a state with 585 structurally deficient bridges.
The report blames political contributions from developers and other construction interests for influencing the process.
