Posted by
Arnie on Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:34:47 PM
Do you remember back when the democrats won back the power in congress and they made the promise to the American people that they would provide more openness in government? They don't remember either.
"Rather than including specific pet projects, grants and contracts in legislation as it is being written, Democrats are following an order by the House Appropriations Committee chairman to keep the bills free of such earmarks until it is too late for critics to effectively challenge them." NewsMax short story.
And these are those budget busting pork barrel projects that legislators love because it sends money back to the home district to show the voters back home how they are 'working in Washington for them, there at home".
Let's see, the proposed budget was 2.9 trillion. Who can comprehend the meaning of a number with so many zeros? Anyway, what's the big deal of another 10 mil going to some research lab in Nevada to look into the migratory habits of the pink flamingo, or whatever. Or, a bridge going to village of 19 people who don't care if they have a bridge or not, but it sure would open up the area to developers and tourists. or 3 mil for sugar cane, Another 3.5 mil in additional funding for guided tours of the capitol. How about 20 mil for insect damage reimbursement. 24 mil for sugar beets. 165.9 mil for fisheries disaster relief. 40 mil for the Tree Assistance Program. Now what is tree assistance? Usually the power companies are trimming them back away from their lines, so is this a program to help them grow back, so that in 3 years they can trim again? And now that the national parties are scattering around the country vying for the white House, they need 100 mil for the national conventions of each party. All those ballons are expensive.
Some of those mentioned above were actually inserted into the Emergency Iraq War Supplement Bill.
Those things are just a drop in the bucket of $2.900,000,000,000, so why not?
Openness, my...... left foot wearing my army boot, (since I can't write what fits the expression).
A promise made by a politician is a sure sign that the promise will be broken.