Bringing Home the Bacon
There has been a lot of talk, in the last two years, about pork-barrel spending. One of the things that the Democrats campaigned on last fall was earmark reform (which as with all of their campaign promises have fallen far short of their promises). It has turned into a bit of an issue with many activists across the country. Legislators from both parties are guilty of writing pet projects into bills - it's what is "done" in DC.
Today's Star Tribune is featuring a story in it's Politically Connected section on one Minnesota Representative's change of heart on pork. It is one of those rare stories where the Strib's natural bias against conservatives is actually more subtle than normal. While they devote a majority of the article talking to the Congressman's detractors on the issue, they also do talk to the Congressman's supporters on this issue. One sentence, in particular struck me.
Now I fully understand that the MOA bus corridore is important to some residents of Eagan and Apple Valley and Bloomington, but you know what - the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" was just as important to some residents of the Kodiak Island Alaska area! That in a nutshell is the problem with pork. To the residents of the district - that spending project IS important, but what is important to Norwood/Young America is not important to the residents of New Orleans or the residents of Atlanta. A spending project in Salt Lake City may be important to them, but it is not as important to the residents of Madison as their project is. If your representative or senator is senior enough or particularily adept at getting his/her pork put through (like John Murtha or Trent Lott) then your state wins the "pork" lottery. If you are represented by someone who is less adept at bringing home the bacon or change their mind on pork, you get articles accusing you of not taking care of your district!
Which is why real earmark reform is so important for all taxpayers. The more we can control the pork barrel spending, the more we can focus on important things like health care reform or Medicare reform or welfare reform or social security reform or any one of the hundreds of other reforms that are direly needed in this country.
What this country needs is more Congressmen and women like John Kline, not less. Some day we will all be forced to realize that and the sooner that happens the better it will be for all Americans.
UPDATE: - Welcome Captains Quarters readers. Get comfy and stay a while.
Today's Star Tribune is featuring a story in it's Politically Connected section on one Minnesota Representative's change of heart on pork. It is one of those rare stories where the Strib's natural bias against conservatives is actually more subtle than normal. While they devote a majority of the article talking to the Congressman's detractors on the issue, they also do talk to the Congressman's supporters on this issue. One sentence, in particular struck me.
Others on the Dakota County Board, including former Eagan Mayor Tom Egan, complain that the planned Mall of America bus corridor "is not a 'Bridge to Nowhere' " -- a reference the now infamous Alaska project regarded as the turning point in last year's backlash against earmarks.
Now I fully understand that the MOA bus corridore is important to some residents of Eagan and Apple Valley and Bloomington, but you know what - the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" was just as important to some residents of the Kodiak Island Alaska area! That in a nutshell is the problem with pork. To the residents of the district - that spending project IS important, but what is important to Norwood/Young America is not important to the residents of New Orleans or the residents of Atlanta. A spending project in Salt Lake City may be important to them, but it is not as important to the residents of Madison as their project is. If your representative or senator is senior enough or particularily adept at getting his/her pork put through (like John Murtha or Trent Lott) then your state wins the "pork" lottery. If you are represented by someone who is less adept at bringing home the bacon or change their mind on pork, you get articles accusing you of not taking care of your district!
Which is why real earmark reform is so important for all taxpayers. The more we can control the pork barrel spending, the more we can focus on important things like health care reform or Medicare reform or welfare reform or social security reform or any one of the hundreds of other reforms that are direly needed in this country.
What this country needs is more Congressmen and women like John Kline, not less. Some day we will all be forced to realize that and the sooner that happens the better it will be for all Americans.
UPDATE: - Welcome Captains Quarters readers. Get comfy and stay a while.
Labels: John Kline, Pork Barrel Spending
posted by The Lady Logician at
10:29 AM
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