It is so nice to be proven right through no effort on one’s part. In my last post, “Second Thoughts on Earmarks,” I said that it was relatively easy know who is requesting earmarks, and voila! Three groups are making that information available to all. According to the Washington Examiner, three groups; Taxpayers for Common [...]
I’m a Redskins fan, so I know disappointment. Apparently, there are signals that the incoming Republican Congress is considering disappointing us regarding earmarks. All Republican senators and apparently a significant number of representatives signed a pledge before the election to forego asking for earmarks and/or eliminating the practice. (I could not find a list of [...]
The Dems in Congress just don't get it. They aren't listening to the American people, who sent a resounding message Nov. 2 that they don't desire any more spending and they desire massive cuts in spending. Instead, the Congressional Dems are poised to pass a spending bill of $1.1 trillion. And critics wonder whether the [...]
I originally titled this post “Good News/Bad News on Earmark Reform,” but a shocking update just broke. Instead of rewriting the whole thing, though, I think keeping the original followed by the update will highlight the dramatic turnaround this issue has taken, largely because of the Tea Party's efforts. ---- First, the good: Presumptive Speaker Rep. John [...]
You'll often hear from politicians that earmark reform is "inconsequential", because the total cost of earmarks is fairly small relative to the total budget. However, this stance ignores the true perils of earmarking, which is specifically the influence to policy and politicians. Here's an example: Senator X earmarks $5M for "weatherization" in Richmond. As luck [...]
In the Washington Post, pollster Frank Luntz reports on the results of five issues he studied over the past two years: a balanced budget, the elimination of earmarks, low taxes and a simplified code, auditing federal agencies to help cut waste and red tape, and requiring Congress to cite its constitutional authorization for any bill [...]
Dammit! In 2008, citizens yearned for government to change its corrupt ways. Obama exploited that sentiment and rode it to the presidency. In the midterm elections, voters rejected Obama’s policies and showed that they yearn for change more than ever. Like Obama two years ago, senate Republicans this year promised they would fight for change. [...]
When Eric Cantor was running for his sixth term, I believed that he’d been there long enough and was associated too closely with the Republican establishment. I voted for him because I didn’t want the Democrat to win and I knew that the independent conservative could not win. After reading his plan to reform Congress, [...]
