We knew politicians were shady, but come on guys.

You see, in Albany, there’s something called pork — euphemistically referred to as “member items” — that lets politicians funnel your money to their own districts for pet projects, usually in proportion to how powerful the pols are. Most of it isn’t stuff to be ashamed of. Still, for years the slippery pols tried to keep secret the identities of who got the pork and how much taxpayer money each of their projects mooched.

Until now.

After an Albany newspaper took the legislature to court to demand the politicians stop hiding their handiwork, a judge ordered they show us the money. First, the government posted a file that, as The New York Times put it, is indecipherable to any normal computer user. After that, they posted huge files (including one that would take up a third of some iPods) of PDF graphics that couldn’t be analyzed.

Finally, after reporters threw a collective hissy fit, the pols posted the files as text PDFs. That’s how reporters and their nerdy computer science partners in crime statewide began compiling lists of just how much these pols had been funneling in secret.

Without further ado (except maybe some miffed phone calls from the politicians’ publicists) here are the details of our local politicians’ wheeling and dealing. To put this spending in comparison, a few of the more connected electeds got millions for their districts.

State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo

Total pork, 2005-2006: $73,000

Greater Binghamton SCORE, Chapter 217: $4,000

Learning Disabilities Association of the Southern Tier, Inc.: $5,000

Endicott Fire Department: $7,500

Union Center Fire Company, Inc.: $2,500

Broome County Stop-DWI Program: $5,000

George F. Johnson Post 1700 (America Legion): $5,000

VFW — Richard J. Hoyt Post No. 478: $5,000

Center for Technology and Innovation, Inc.: $3,800

Action for Older Persons, Inc.: $5,000

Broome County Council of Churches, Inc.: $5,000

Catholic Charities of Broome County, Inc.: $5,000

Meals on Wheels of Western Broome, Inc.: $3,200

Binghamton Philharmonic, Inc.: $3,500

Cider Mill Playhouse: $5,000

Gorgeous Washington Street Association: $3,500

Opera Cabaret of Endicott: $5,000

State Senator Tom Libous

Total pork, 2005-2006: $337,000

American Red Cross — Southern Tier Chapter: $58,000

Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc.: $164,000

Brisben Fire Department: $25,000

Central New York Area Health Education Center: $20,000

Coventry Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.: $25,000

North Colonie School District: $30,000

Richford Fire Department: $15,000