I mentioned earlier the Heritage Foundation’s soon-to-be-released 2007 Federal Budget Chart Book, which includes a fascinating chart showing the number of earmarks between 1991 and 2007. After a sharp rise starting in 1999, last year actually marked the first decline. The 2007 budget year marked an even greater drop — largely because Congress completed work on just two of 11 the appropriations bills.

Fewer earmarks made this year’s Pig Book from Citizens Against Government Waste much smaller than it’s been in the past.

On Monday, taxpayers will have another resource at their disposal to combat earmarks. That’s when the Office of Management and Budget posts its earmark database online. It will include recipient name and address, earmark cost, description, an indication of whether or not the earmark is statutory or non-binding, and relevant bill or report language. Anti-earmark crusader Rep. Jeff Flake had this to say.

Finally, a new survey from Democracy Corps found that an overwhelming 80% of likely voters disapprove of the federal government’s spending habits. Is anyone in Congress listening?