Due to the incredible number of wasteful earmarks jammed into every spending bill that comes across the floor of the House, it is impossible for me to highlight each one for you. However, I try to bring those that are particularly egregious to your attention so you can see just exactly where your tax dollars are going. I recently came across this one and found it worth highlighting.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) apparently felt the transportation budget was big enough to support an earmark for the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. According to CBS News, the Skirball Cultural Center is managed by wealthy executives making six figures a year and grosses more than $885 million a year! Hardly a needy organization by any standard. 

When asked about the $550,000 price tag for this project, Mr. Waxman indicated that he felt the cost was mere pennies. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to realize that American taxpayers depend on those “pennies” and each one was earned through hard work.

I can’t decide what’s more disturbing: The fact that the earmark is in the transportation bill (which has nothing to do with the Skirball Cultural Center) or the lack of judgment it took to not use those funds for something more critical - like say bridge and infrastructure repair?

Regardless, thanks to your tax dollars, Los Angeles’ newest attraction now brings in over $16,000 in ticket sales a week. Will the average American taxpayer benefit at all from that profit?  I doubt it.