As I have begun browsing that pile of unread newspapers by my easy chair the first pattern I have noticed is that our wonderful Senator “No Earmarks Ever” Tester has been repeatedly stating over the past couple of weeks in various news stories that he really wasn’t against all earmarks like he said in his 2006 campaign but that he was only against those lacking “transparency” Jon-boy is now saying that Montana “desperately needs” these earmarks and that the call for a earmark moratorium by Congressman Rehberg and those naughty republicans is all political grandstanding. Uh……….you mean grandstanding such as saying catch phrases like Jack Abramoff –Culture of Corruption – No Earmarks Ever – and the like Senator?
I am not necessarily against the “proper” use of earmarks but I fail to see how we will ever get to the point where this magic “transparency” Mr. “No Earmarks Ever” Tester is now proclaiming to be the “fix” will work. Take a look at this article in the Huffington Post with the headline “Obama-GOP Tax cut Bill Turning into ‘Christmas Tree’ Tinseled with Gifts for lobbyists, Lawmakers” and you will see that every vote has a price. While I agree that the actual earmarks themselves make up less than one per-cent of the budget they are the grease that lubricates the vote for large obscene spending bills.
The bill talked about in this Huffington Post article was to extend the Bush tax cuts. Ironically it is now being called an Obama tax-cut bill but it really doesn’t cut any taxes but rather extends the Bush tax-cut for another two years. Without passage of this extension we would in reality see tax increases. (Why do the newspapers erroneously title these stories as “tax-cuts”?) You can plainly see by this article that millions upon millions of dollars have been ‘earmarked” unto this tax bill for everything from ethanol subsidies to wasteful grants for experimental solar power. Without earmarks these same subsidies would have to be brought to congress to be voted upon by their own merits instead of simply being the grease that lubricates the real screwing being given to the tax-payers.
It’s time to call your congressional delegation and tell them to vote to eliminate the legality of ALL earmarks………………….. Forever!
Please do us all a favor and take "the little woman" on a long vacation.
ReplyDeleteYou know Willie I was actually thinking of doing just that. We would love to go to Washington D.C. and witness the swearing in of the largest change of leadership in election history. Considering that it is cold in D.C. I may just have to settle for going to Helena in January to witness your buddies Warburton, Hansen and Hutton start their terms in the legislature. Want to carpool with us?
ReplyDeletepounding on juan testicle is petty.
ReplyDeletethe poor sap is just doing what is required in washing-down.
earmarks are a cent on every thousand dollars gifted to the corpse-rat rape and pillage arranged in con-gress.
leafing through State News (what's Pravda translated?)lets you know a few minor things about local order.
scan the census website for the FACTS on how you are doing...
the dept of labor...
interstate commerce...
con-gressional record...
most of the shaft-jobs delivered to tax payers are stashed in seemingly good deeds.
riders that will ride joe blow for generations.
supporting the themo-craps or republi-cons reveals a faith in a system front-loaded for the rich from the first meeting of con-gress. they were the rich. as samuel johnson pointed out:patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.
so, as juan boner cries in the great halls as he drives it home on you, keep believing,joe blow, keep believing...
they need your money.
It's easy for us to sit here and complain about earmarks. I keep waffling on the subject. I am sure they have their place, but am equally sure they are abused.
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me that it is time to get rid of them, because the congress can't handle the responsibility of using them.