Pork or bacon?

Remember all that talk about congressional earmarks during the last campaign? The House passed a rule this year that requires members to put their names on the specific spending items they're requesting from the Appropriations Committee.

But CNN had a good piece yesterday about how hard it still is to find out exactly what earmarks are out there.

Today 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz released his wish list, and here it is:

-Center for Applied Biofuel Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato Funds would support research into renewable energy.

·Center for Producer-Owned Energy; Crookston

-The Center supports the creation of value-added renewable energy businesses that help farmers increase their profitability and promote rural development.

·Center for Renewable Energy at Minnesota State University, Mankato This funding would support on-going research into cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable forms of energy.

·Dresbach Bridge Preliminary planning support for the I-90 bridge at Dresbach, in Winona County.

· Garage and Operation Facility construction Construction of a garage and transportation hub for Albert Lea's bus transit system.

·Gunderson Lutheran's HeartHealth program in Winona Funds will create a program to reduce life-threatening heart disease in women.

· Highway 8 in St. James Funding for safety improvements.

·Highway 14 Upgrades in Waseca, Blue Earth, and Nicollet Counties.

·Highway 52 Improvements in Olmsted County.

·Highway 59 in Worthington Road safety enhancements.

· Highway 60 Expansion to four lanes in Nobles County.

·Hormel Institute Cancer Research Expansion Project in Austin This funding would expand the Hormel Institute's cancer research facility and support the renovation of an existing building and the construction of a new facility.

·Interstate 35 Guardrail installations in Owatonna.

·Lewis and Clark Rural Water System Centered in twenty communities in western Minnesota, northern Iowa, and eastern South Dakota, this pipeline provides treated water from the Missouri River to more than 300,000 people in three states. This area is so desperately short of water that there are restrictions on constructing new small business and residences; the pipeline will be essential to the economic viability of these small towns. Many of the communities involved have pre-paid the local share of the project, in order to keep inflationary costs at a minimum, and are only awaiting the federal share.

·Minnesota National Guard Field Maintenance Facility in Mankato Funds would support the design of a maintenance facility to support the training of Minnesota's National Guard.

·Mobile Pediatric Health Simulation Center The funds would support the operation of a mobile pediatric lab to train doctors and nurses in greater Minnesota in pediatric emergency response. This program is headquartered in St. Paul but serves Minnesota's 1st Congressional District.

· National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University The Center trains social workers, teachers, and health care professionals to recognize and report signs of child abuse.

· Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota and Iowa This project will support land acquisition to add acreage to the refuge.

·Oak Avenue Reconstruction Project will to accommodate heavier traffic in Racine, located in Mower County.

·Olmsted County Safeguarding Children's Initiative in Rochester Funds will support a program to prevent child abuse and neglect.

·Park and Ride Facility construction in Rochester

·Radium removal project in the Goodview Water System Funding would construct two water filtration plants to comply with an EPA mandate.

·Rapidan Dam near Mankato Funding for a study by the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate options for the Rapidan Dam.

·Region 9 Funding will assist with assessment of public transit options in Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties.

·Road Sign Replacement Program in Houston and Watonwan Counties

·St. Elizabeth's Hospital Fresh Start Disease Prevention Program Funds would support a program in Wabasha to help participants reduce their risk of heart disease.

·Sensor Technology Project for Senior Independent Living and Home Health Located in Windom, the program would allow remote monitoring of elderly clients' health.

·Sheriffs Youth Program in Rochester. Funding would support SYP's services for at-risk youth.

·Soybean genomics research at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul Funding for research to help increase protein levels in soybeans, which would make southern Minnesota's plentiful soybean crop more competitive internationally.

·Statewide National Guard Reintegration program This program would support a program to help federal, state, and local agencies provide well-coordinated assistance to Minnesota service members reintegrating to civilian life.

·Trunk Highway 4 Pavement reconstruction in St. James.

·Trunk Highway 15/Johnson Street intersection in Fairmont Funding would support a study on ways to control a hazardous intersection in Fairmont.

·Trunk Highway 169 Reconstruction in Fairbault and Nicollet Counties.

·Uniform Farm Management Program at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Funding for a project that helps farmers compare their costs of production and maximize their efficiencies of operation.

·Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge Funds would purchase a 108-acre tract of land along the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

·Veterans Re-Entry Education Program in St. Paul Funds would help Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and three state agencies create programs to help returning veterans find employment and educational opportunities.

· Veterans' Van Transportation Program in Rochester Funds would support the operation of the county's van service to transport veterans from Olmsted County to the Minneapolis VA Clinic for medical care.

· Watonwan County Emergency Services Funds would support an upgrade of the county's emergency operations center and a facility for emergency management equipment.

·Winona State University Utility Tunnel Upgrade and Expansion Project