Map Where Congress Budgets Your Taxes

US centric: A new Google Earth layer keeps tabs on political spending by pinpointing where and for what projects U.S. government officials are budgeting funds for across the country:

Members of Congress know where the money is going: now citizens can, too. The Sunlight Foundation today released a Google Earth application that plots the locations for almost 1,500 earmarks in the House Defense Appropriations bill. This graphic illustration of defence earmarks gives anyone with an internet connection a bird’s-eye view of exactly where Congress is directing federal spending—and the ability to investigate whether the earmarks address pressing needs, favour political contributors or are simply pure pork.

CNet news reports that the map’s points, attached to the U.S. House of Representatives defence spending bill is heavy on military tech projects like “ubiquitous RFID chem/bio detection” and “semi-autonomous robotic manipulation and sensing.” You’ll need Google Earth running on your desktop to open the freely downloadable map layer file.