WASHINGTON — The feds are spending tens of millions of stimulus dollars to repair and build toilets across the nation, in an outflow of taxpayer funds that critics have branded “potty pork.”
From humble sylvan outhouses to “historic” restrooms, cash from the $787 billion stimulus is going to spruce up or completely replace aging toilets, government releases show.
In New Mexico alone, the feds are spending $2.8 million for toilets in national forests.
The bathroom bonanza runs across myriad federal agencies, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Veterans Affairs Administration and the Army.
“You could definitely say this is potty pork,” said Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste. “This puts a whole different swirl on money going down the drain.”
Many proposals cite the need to improve accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.