Thu 18 Oct 2007
What do you care about?
Posted by Kirsten under Politics
[6] Comments
Polls typically show that aside from the Iraq war, the top issues of concern to voters are usually jobs/the economy, and healthcare.
See for instance this CBS news poll from a month ago which asked the open-ended question “What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?”
I’d sure like to see pork barrel spending displace a couple of those issues.
I mean, think about it. You have an out-of-control Congress treating taxpayer dollars like personal re-election funds.
It’s terribly poor stewardship of our nation’s economic resources. And it also invites corruption.
Argue if you want that the government should be managing the economy, creating jobs, paying for our healthcare. But you have to admit those are huge, complicated problems that require huge, complicated solutions.
Whereas pork barrel spending is very straightforward. It’s within politicians’ control. If we voters could muster enough outrage, it could be reined in pretty quickly.
Robert Novak has a column taking up the latter issue. It starts by describing a $1 million earmark in a Senate healthc care and education bill to fund a Woodstock museum.
Writes Novak, this “typifies the earmark epidemic because political insiders are often found pushing pork.”
The museum is funded principally by billionaire Alan Gerry’s foundation, which has annual investment income of $24 million. Federal Election Commission records show that Gerry has donated at least $229,000 to political campaigns, and his wife, Sandra, has contributed $90,000 over the past 10 years (including $26,000 in the last election cycle to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, headed by Schumer). On June 30, the Gerrys gave the maximum $9,200 to Clinton’s presidential campaign, three days after the two New York senators put the Bethel earmark into the Labor-HHS bill.
This is unconscionable.
So what are we waiting for?
Or have we become too corrupted ourselves to fight this thing? We don’t want to piss on a museum in Woodstock because we want money to come back to our hometowns for our little pet projects, our rowboats and parades?
Have we all been bought?
Technorati Tags: pork barrel spending
K,
I generally avoid posting or commenting about politics. Rarely is anyone’s opinion changed by reading someone else’s opinion that differs, however slightly, from one’s own.
I’ll just say that I’m proud to live in the congressional district that time after time has re-elected Ron Paul (now a Republican presidential candidate). Formerly a Libertarian, Ron became known as “the taxpayer’s best friend” simply by refusing to vote FOR any expenditure that wasn’t part of the federal government’s constitutional mandate (primarily defense and interstate commerce.) Deemed by most as totally unsuccessful (because he won’t compromise or go along with others in the pork spending “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” way of doing business in D.C.), he alienates many by voting against “worthwhile” programs and entitlements, because he calls it “Robin Hood government — rob from many and re-distribute their wealth to others.”
Would he make an able president? Questionable. But it’s nice having at least ONE federal legislator who’ll vote against every tax increase, and FOR every tax cut. No, this district gets very little Federal money for projects. But that’s OUR money, and if we want a highway or entitlement program here, we’ll need to fund it ourselves. Not a bad system, to my mind.
John
Speaking of government, have you seen this? (Shamelessly purloined from Peter’s blog at
http://holtieshouse.blogspot.com/
New Element Discovered.
Research in Australia has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet
known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron,
25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons,
giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are
surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however it can be detected,
because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would take less
than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years; It does not decay, but
instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant
neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium’s
mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause
more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that
Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. when catalyzed
with money Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates
just as much energy as Governmemtium since it has half as many peons but
twice as many morons.
Yes, I remember seeing that Governmentium bit somewhere — thanks for sharing!
Another stand-up pol is Tom Colburn — he keeps pushing Congress to give up pork, too . . .
I know it’s got nothing to do with me, being a limey – but Ron Paul ftw!!!
:-D
c’mon over to NY, you can get a driver’s license & vote!!!
I want to start a museum on the Hudson, too. It would honor the four dozen or so NY counties which rejected FDR every time. What are the chances this Congress would appropriate seed money for that?
Didn’t Reader’s Digest do a profile on Fred Eckert of Rochester, making him out like Paul and Coburn? Sadly, he only lasted one term– and lives within the Beltway now.