Congressional Pig Book: Are Earmarks on Their Way Out?
SodaHead News
2012/04/18 13:00:00
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Earmarks -- legislative provisions that members of Congress use to direct federal funds or tax breaks to pet projects -- have been sapping taxpayer money for year, but according to the Citizens Against Government Waste's "Congressional Pig Book," those loopholes are nearly vanquished. The report says earmarks are down 98.3% since 2010 (from 9,129 to 152) and the total cost is down 80% (from $16.5 billion to $3.3 billion). But it brings up a new concern.
The book writes, "While the lower number and cost of earmarks are a vast improvement over prior years, transparency and accountability have regressed immeasurably ... [Until a ban is imposed,] taxpayers will be justified in their belief that members of Congress are being creative and deceptive in skirting the moratorium and continuing to obtain earmarks." Do you think earmarks are actually on their way out, or is Congress just getting creative?
The book writes, "While the lower number and cost of earmarks are a vast improvement over prior years, transparency and accountability have regressed immeasurably ... [Until a ban is imposed,] taxpayers will be justified in their belief that members of Congress are being creative and deceptive in skirting the moratorium and continuing to obtain earmarks." Do you think earmarks are actually on their way out, or is Congress just getting creative?
Top Opinion
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No
+4Not unless they explicitly made earmarks illegal, which I don't think is possible in a republic where representatives are supposed to pursue the interests of their state's and district's constituents. My solution would be to better publicize who Senators & Representatives are getting their campaign donations from and the amounts they are receiving from those donors. Maybe even wear their donors on their jackets the same as NASCAR drivers. The bigger the donor, the bigger the logo. Something to give the constituents a constant visible reminder of who exactly "owns" a particular Congress critter. Something to shame those Congress critters for betraying the public in favor of special interests.
However it it is disguised-There will always be pork barrell spending!
Freddie and Fannie were making creative mortgage loans then selling off these toxic loans to banks. Alot of the blame actually goes to the Congress and Senate that won control in 2006. Yup Democrats won both the house and the senate in 2006 and started pushing these Government ran mortgage lenders to go all out and make creative financing. After Pelosi and Reed took over the Recession hit. Coincidence? Think not. Almost every time the Progressive Democrats take over control of the House and Senate the economy goes into the Crapper.
But in election years Parties will introduce bills like this and stuff them full of pork that the opposition side would not vote on. These tactics are then used against the parties or candidates on the campaign trail.
“Congressman Y” will say in an ad that “Congressman X” is “opposed to protecting your children”
In reality “X” voted against the bill because the bill contained a section on funding NMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association)
This type of politics is misleading to the American public and unfair, It MUST Be stopped.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/in...
Be glad there isn't any Kool-Aid Kontrol Acts, or what would the Conservative Borg have to parrot?
The I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine mentality seems to be here to stay!