Pork barrel spending is the reason that economic Conservatives allowed the Democrats to take over Congress. Republicans began to spend like Democrats and economic Conservatives stayed home in mass in November of 2006. Spending Mrs. Pelosi was the lesson of the 06 Midterms not the war.
Since then we’ve been saddled with the worst Congress in modern history. The 110th Congress has the reputation of being the “Do Nothing Congress”. Do nothing that is, except spend your money without your knowledge or approval.
If a spending package is truly worthy of the people’s money it should be presented in a bill like any other appropriations package and go through the process like any other piece of legislation. If it can stand the test of Committee, debate, a floor vote, committee in the other house, debate, and a floor vote; then by some miracle get signed by the President of the United States, then it is worthy of the people’s money. But most of what your government spends on an annual basis never goes through the process. Most of the money that is spent is outside of the budget and is slipped into legislation which it has nothing to do with. This is called PORK.
Wednesday, the Citizens Against Government Waste released their annual Pig Book and I’m happy to report that Ohio was 48th in the nation in receiving per capita pork spending at $18.46 per person. Which state received the most per capita? Alaska with $555.54 per person. That’s $555.54 for each man, woman, and child in Alaska. Ohio got $18.46 for each. There is quite the discrepancy there.
But who were the worst offenders? That my friends is the question.
Once again, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D WV) with $386 million for various pork projects. It is no wonder why every public project in West Virginia has Robert C. Byrd’s name on it.
Others worthy of mention:
The French Kiss Off Award to Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for $211,509 in olive fruit fly research in Paris, France.
The Taxpayers Get Teed Off Award to House MajorityWhip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for $3 million for The First Tee in the defense appropriations bill.
The Cold Hard Cash Award to Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) for $165.7 million in defense pork.
Republicans will never be able to fully claim that we are the Party of limited government until not one elected official has his/her name on this list. More than that. Until not one Republican name appears in the book at all.
Continuing with the list of dis-honorable mentions:
The Tax Dollars on Drugs Award to Representative John Murtha (D-Pa.) for $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center.
The Narcissist Award to Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.
Rangel is the moron that on day one of the Do Nothing Congress advocated the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. No wonder, he must want more buildings with his name on them like Sen. Byrd.
Continuing:
The Pig in Sheep’s Clothing Award to Montana Senators Max Baucus (D) and Jon Tester (D) for 148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.
The Unidentified Fiscal Object Award to Representative Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) for $1.6 million for the Allen Telescope Array.
The Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees Award to Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for $344,540 for the city of Chicago GreenStreets Tree Planting Program.
The Porky and Bess Award for $7.9 million for 36 theaters in 21 states.
The Pacific Fleeced Award to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for $173.2 million in defense pork.
The Taxpayers Get Steamed Award to Maine Senators Susan Collins (R) and Olympia Snowe (R), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) for $188,000 for the Lobster Institute.
Collins and Snowe aren’t helping the Republican cause to regain the trust of economic Conservatives. Perhaps they don’t give a flying fig because they are New Englanders. But the rest of our Party does care.
And another Republican sticking his fingers in the pork barrel:
This Pork Was Made for Walking Award to Representative Virgil Goode (R-Va.) for $98,000 to develop a walking tour of Boydton, Virginia.
The Return to Sender Award to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for $196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic downtown Post Office in Las Vegas.
As I stated above, if these projects were worthy of the taxpayers money, why weren’t they introduced into bills and scrutinized like every other appropriations bill? Because they aren’t worth your money people!
Pork spending must stop because it is a drain on our economy. If Congress has this much money to spread around then they can afford to give it back and not spend the money don’t you think. That money would best be spent in the hands of the American people from whom they robbed it in the first place. Because what in a sense are taxes? Government robbing its citizens.
Get the CAGW Pig Book in PDF format online HERE
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