Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), a constant critic of extraconstitutitional programs and spending, was one of only four House Republicans to request earmarks for his congressional district in the most recent fiscal year.

His largest single request was for nearly $20 million, which would go to the public Texas A&M University, which already enjoys a $5.1 billion endowment. Another major request was for maritime infrastructure spending. That earmark totaled more than $18 million.

As for 2010:

For Fiscal Year 2010, Paul requested 54 total earmarks, adding up to $398,460,640 in pork that the former presidential candidate sought to bring home to his district. These requests were made prior to the House Republican Conference’s voluntary ban on filing earmarks.

Paul requested more than $51 million for reconstruction of an evacuation route between two counties, more than $96 million for maritime infrastructure, and $2.5 million for “decorative street lighting”, trash cans, and bike racks in Baytown.

That last one is particularly interesting. Paul is the guy who regularly votes against resolutions commemorating events because the Constitution says nothing about them. Does the Constitution say something about decorative street lighting in a local municipality? I must have missed that.

Paul’s supporters will say earmarks simply direct money already appropriated.

First of all, it incentivizes even more appropriations. Other members want earmarks, too. Lay your claim to money and they’ll want more appropriated so they can do the same.

Second, that’s not the point. Federal money shouldn’t be going to decorations, bike racks, and state-level universities with multi-billion endowments. Earmark it for something the federal government should be doing — not extraconstitutional projects.

I guess it’s okay when Ron Paul does it, though.