Another thread about earmarks

[JaJae]

I've been a constant critic of earmarks in general. I don't really care who does it, I think it's out of control and needs to be stopped. The only way I can see this happening is to just cut off all earmarks. Another more reasonable approach would be to change the way earmarks are handled. Instead of placing them into a bill, place them into a report where lawmakers can pick and choose which ones they want to support and which ones they don't. If a spending project gets 2/3rds vote it passes. If not, no money for you.

We're coming around to another election cycle and American politicians are doing what they do best.. buying votes.

washingtonpost.com

More than a year after Congress pledged to curb pork barrel funding known as earmarks, lawmakers are gearing up for another spending binge, directing billions toward organizations and companies in their home districts.

Earmark spending in the House's defense authorization bill alone soared 29 percent last month, from $7.7 billion last year to $9.9 billion now, according to data compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group in the District. The Senate bill has not been approved, but the proposal includes an increased number of earmarks, although for a slightly lesser total cost.

Lawmakers had promised to cut back on earmarks and mandated better disclosure of them after steady criticism that they were funding programs with little debate or oversight. The promises led to an initial decline in earmarks last year that was trumpeted on Capitol Hill. But the new data show that they are surging again, at least in the proposed Pentagon authorization budget, which sets out priorities to be funded in a later appropriations bill.

"Both parties talk a good game on cutting earmarks, but at first opportunity, the House larded up," said Stephen Ellis, vice president of the watchdog group. "This is just another broken promise."

In the Senate, Lieberman led the way with his participation in 14 requests worth more than $292 million, some of them involving more than one lawmaker, the watchdog group data show. Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) made 48 requests, many with colleagues, worth more than $198 million. Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Elizabeth Dole (N.C.) led Republicans by participating in requests totaling $188 million and $182 million, respectively.

Leading earmarkers in the House include Democrats Solomon P. Ortiz (Tex.) and Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii) and Republicans Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Robin Hayes (N.C.).

Earmark spending has a long history, and some lawmakers said it is a constitutional right for Congress to control the government's purse. Proponents note that earmarks often provide funding to organizations doing good work that otherwise would not get a dime from Congress.

It's a shame that high ranking members have no shame about their wasteful earmarks, even people who were running for president. We need some accountability.

[DosEquis]

Its about putting their name on something locally, when that something simply doesn't have the local funding available. That way when they run for their jobs again they can say "see i helped bring in that new pointless bridge over to council bluffs"...(local example)

[Kytro]

Funding for unrelated matters shouldn't be allowed.