Both of Hawai'i's House members posted their earmark requests on their Web sites in accordance with a new requirement to make the funding process more transparent. They also have to state who would get the money and why it's a good use of taxpayer dollars.

In the past, most lawmakers have disclosed only those requests that were approved for funding.

Some earmarks requested for Hawai'i are the sort that opponents of the process have mocked as frivolous — $4.8 million for a bike path on Kaua'i, $3 million to pay for an environmental impact statement on a fruit fly rearing and sterilization facility, and $233,000 for papaya research.

"With some lawmakers there's just an insatiable appetite for these projects," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Washington-based Taxpayers for Common Sense. "They're perfectly happy to get their piece of the pie and call it a day."

INOUYE'S LONG COATTAILS

There's no guarantee Hawai'i will get all the earmarks its lawmakers request. But the power of Democratic Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, ensures that most of the requests will be well-protected through the budget process, which typically does not end until the summer.

"Hawai'i's House members have some long coattails they can ride over on the Senate side," Ellis said.

Inouye is expected to duplicate much of the House request list when senators post all their earmarks.

Earmarks have played a role in lobbying and campaign finance scandals. They've also been criticized because project funding is distributed less on comparative merit than on clout, including a lawmaker's committee assignment or leadership post and whether the lawmaker's party is in the majority or he or she faces a competitive re-election.

Inouye contends earmarks are fine as long as lawmakers are open about what they're requesting.

"The problem is not earmarks," he said in a statement. "The problem is the secrecy, which led to abuses in the past."

Inouye contends many earmarked projects have proven invaluable.

He cites the East-West Center as an example, even though earmark opponents say it shouldn't be funded through the federal budget.

"The center ... is recognized nationally and internationally for its ability to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific and the United States," he said. "There are numerous other examples of programs, facilities and infrastructure that have been created or funded through earmarks that have greatly benefited the American people."