How to pay for the $62 billion that the president has promised in federal Katrina relief? Well, it's only a fraction of the $286 billion in pork-barrel spending authorized by the recent highway bill. Ronald D. Utt of the Heritage Foundation has made the reasonable suggestion that Katrina reconstruction take priority over pork:

As Mississippi and Louisiana confront the replacement of dozens of wrecked bridges, is it possible that Rep. Don Young (R-AK) could give up one of the two $200 million dollar bridges he secured for his state? Perhaps Alaskans could go without the one that will serve a town of just fifty people, who now ride a ferry? Such an example of leadership and sacrifice by a senior Member like Rep. Young could persuade the rest of the Congress to follow his lead and give up there [sic] own wasteful earmarks and pork until the $12 or $13 billion dollars is redirected to those whose need is dire.

A recent Wall St. Journal editorial adds a nice twist: some residents of Bozeman, Montana, another highway pork earmark recipient, have already volunteered to give up their city's earmark for the sake of Katrina relief. The Lone Star Times has the money quote from the WSJ:

Some public-spirited folks in Bozeman, Montana, have come up with a wonderful idea to help Uncle Sam offset some of the $62 billion federal cost of Hurricane Katrina relief. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that Montanans from both sides of the political aisle have petitioned the city council to give the feds back a $4 million earmark to pay for a parking garage in the just-passed $286 billion highway bill. As one of these citizens, Jane Shaw, told us: "We figure New Orleans needs the money right now a lot more than we need extra downtown parking space."

Gee, I know a Jane Shaw from Bozeman, Montana – she’s the past president of the Association for Private Enterprise Education. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the idea originated with Tracy Velazquez, current vice-chair of the Montana Democratic Party. Good idea, Tracy!

Let’s hope the Bozeman city council does the right thing, and that Bozeman’s example shames the Alaskans and other pork recipients. The idea was mentioned on NPR this morning, so it seems to be spreading.