Earmarks and Corruption
Earmarks, Pork barrel spending, is just a nicer word for Corruption, has been with us for years, it has put us in a recession and is about to take us into a depression. Obama is putting his best foot forward in stopping corruption, but as usual the Republicans as well as some Democrats feel their kickbacks slipping away from them.
For last 8 years I never hear a word about earmarks from either party, but now the Republicans are in a tizzy on “over spending”, it took them 8 years to put American into bankruptcy, now all of a sudden the Republicans have become aware that we our in trouble, at this time Obama does not need these back biters bitching about something they are the instigators of in the first. My advise to them is to put-up or shut-up, at this time all they are doing is making a ass of the Republican Party as well as some Democrats!
Until we know were every Dollar is spend we will have corruption, do you think that the Billions of Dollars the Government lost in Iraq was not Corruption?
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Solution to Ear Marks and Pork
My recent email to President Obama.
Dear President Obama. Why don't you tell Nancy Pelosi to have a "LINE ITEM VETO BILL" in the House to Vote on within a week. Tell Harry Reed to be ready for the same in the Senate.
All I hear is how there's PORK, PORK, PORK. Put the Republican's foot where their mouths are, Pass a "LINE ITEM VETO BILL" and remove the PORK one line at a time. Shouldn't be hard. Just use the one Bill Clinton got passed years ago.
God Bless You, and Thanks
The line-item veto bill that
The line-item veto bill that was passed during the Clinton administration was later struck down by the SCOTUS as being un-Constitutional:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-item_veto
Many State Constitutions allow governors to exercise line-item veto powers, but the U.S. Constitution does NOT allow U.S. presidents this power. When the Congress approves a budget (or any other bill) the POTUS may either accept it as is, or veto the entire statute. The neoconservative Dubya/Cheney administration tried to get around this Constitutional ("just a God-damned piece of paper") impediment with "signing statements."
Only the combined Congress has the Constitutional power to enact legislation. To give the POTUS line-item veto power would require an amendment to Constitution, which is highly unlikely to happen.
How we can help stop PORK and EARMARKS
How about DEMOCRATS.COM starting a PETITION to get Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in the House and Harry Reed in the Senate to Pass a Line Item Veto Bill. That way the new administration can kill the pork-earmarks one item at a time. Bill Clinton did it and left a huge surplus.
The huge surplus left by
The huge surplus left by Bill Clinton had very little to do with his brief period of authority to use the line-item veto. He only used it 11 times, to strike a total of 82 items, before the statute was declared un-Constitutional by the SCOTUS.
The biggest problem
the American people are having is that we have to many representative that are getting rich with fleecing the American taxpayers. Nothing has been done to stop this fleecing.
Our Laws is suppose to Govern everybody equal, this is no longer what is taking place, we our been Govern by a "Mob" instead of "by the people". Our representatives are doing what is best for personal profit instead of for the people. As this happens we no longer have a Democracy! Our Government refuses to impose rules and regulations on the finanical System or any business that steps over the line, which has put us in a recession.
Can someone define "pork" for me?
Thanks.
Jim
Spam Jim
Shoulder pork and ham. LOL
Python ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE
Jim,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel
Earmarks, Pork barrel and Pet projects are Political Corruption that representatives get kickbacks for their campaigns, its just a way to steal from the Taxpayers for personal use!
Most "Pork Barrel" projects
Most "Pork Barrel" projects do not fit the accepted definition of corruption, unless you count getting constituent's votes as a "kickback" in return for delivering Federal money to the represented State or District. Most elected Senators and Representatives are judged by voters on their ability to obtain Federal funding for their States and Districts when re-election time comes around.
All earmarks and "pet projects" are not necessarily wasteful, unless they are in the category of Alaska's "Bridge To Nowhere." Senator Daniel Inouye has delivered millions of dollars of worthwhile (and badly needed) Federal and Military spending for Hawaii over the course of his career. Many other honest Senators and Representatives have done the same for their respective States as well.
Actually, more "pork barrel" graft and corruption occurs at the local State, County, and City government levels than at the Congressional level. Congress allocates the money to the States, but does not select contractors. State, County, and City officials do, and that is where the opportunity for kickbacks arises. The same holds true for unelected Federal Executive Branch officials who actually allocate the monies approved by Congress. See Halliburton, and no-bid contracts.
Obscene campaign "contributions" by corporate entities and their lobbyists are attempts at graft and corruption, pure and simple. But this neocon-enabled practice is not a good reason to cut off needed Federal funding for State projects such as infrastructure, jobs creation, and Federally-mandated State-administered programs.
Looks like their hoodwinking their constituents by
making them vote against their own interest. Boy they are good at lying. Too good. Listen, keep an eye on all they do, even the DLC gamesters like Carvell who likes to stir the doo doo up just to keep arguments going. If there is to be fun in the government, the people better have reason to celebrate too. If they are toasting, best keep an eye out. I know I will and am watching them very very carefully.
And what I can't catch on c-span live, I look in the archives for.
mommapanther
Many things can stop "Pork"
There can be a lot of fixes to stop Pork and Earmarks, but it will never happen because most representatives do not care about what a Bill is for. A Bill is just a tool for them to add Earmarks. Sometime representatives add “Pork” because they want a Bill to fail, sometimes they will sweeten it in hoping it will pass; this is what makes this practice corrupt. Representative knowing the faith of bill’s outcome will in advance of a vote, in knowing a bill will pass, will add pork for what would be useful to their State, this practice has ballooned way overboard. The sinister side of this practice is greater then the good side. A “Bill” deserve a fair vote on its “own merit” without any Pork to change its out come. After Pork has been added the original bill end-up as garbage, this is why we see so must bad legislation coming out of Washington!
This is what makes this practice corrupt. Who was it that said; we gave them a Democracy, now its up to them to keep it?