When is pork good?
When it is pork that comes to your state or your district of course!
In the past, I have been rather hard on Congressman Ron Paul for doing what all congressmen and women do - bringing home the bacon. Last week, the Minnesota delegation brought home $250 million dollars in "pork" - money to help start rebuilding the St. Anthony Bridge. "But, but but..." I can hear readers sputtering, "this is different...it was a accident/tragedy..." It was to us, to be sure, but what about the accident/tragedy happening today in Utah...should we send money there? AAA put it this way "It's OUR pork".
Many have picked up the crusade of porkbusting. To be sure it is not a bad crusade, however a larger discussion needs to be addressed. Is there a time when pork (to paraphrase Gordon Gekko - Michael Douglas in the movie "Wall Street") is good? I would argue that yes there is a time when pork is "good". Times like 9/11, hurricane or tornados - anytime a response to a "disaster" is necessary. However, special interest pork is only good for one thing...lining the pockets of the political and his/her contributor!
In 2006, the Democrats campaigned on earmark reform. As we saw this week, their idea of earmark reform is rather....weak. (HT Gary at LFR). What we the people need to do is start expressing ourselves as we did during the Immigration debate. We need to make sure that real earmark reform - on a state AND federal level - takes place so that the next time a tragedy like this happens we know that the pork that comes this way is "good" pork.
In the past, I have been rather hard on Congressman Ron Paul for doing what all congressmen and women do - bringing home the bacon. Last week, the Minnesota delegation brought home $250 million dollars in "pork" - money to help start rebuilding the St. Anthony Bridge. "But, but but..." I can hear readers sputtering, "this is different...it was a accident/tragedy..." It was to us, to be sure, but what about the accident/tragedy happening today in Utah...should we send money there? AAA put it this way "It's OUR pork".
Many have picked up the crusade of porkbusting. To be sure it is not a bad crusade, however a larger discussion needs to be addressed. Is there a time when pork (to paraphrase Gordon Gekko - Michael Douglas in the movie "Wall Street") is good? I would argue that yes there is a time when pork is "good". Times like 9/11, hurricane or tornados - anytime a response to a "disaster" is necessary. However, special interest pork is only good for one thing...lining the pockets of the political and his/her contributor!
In 2006, the Democrats campaigned on earmark reform. As we saw this week, their idea of earmark reform is rather....weak. (HT Gary at LFR). What we the people need to do is start expressing ourselves as we did during the Immigration debate. We need to make sure that real earmark reform - on a state AND federal level - takes place so that the next time a tragedy like this happens we know that the pork that comes this way is "good" pork.
Labels: 2008, Earmark Reform
posted by The Lady Logician at
5:40 PM
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