An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Six Letters: Starts With “P”, Ends With “S”!
Congress Loads Bill With $277 Million in ‘Pork,’ Watchdog Group Says
The House of Representatives tucked $277.9 million worth of earmarks - items in a spending bill usually designated for a congressman’s district or state - into the appropriations bill it passed before the July 4 break.
That number is a 122 percent increase over the amount spent on earmarks in last year’s bill, according to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).
They just don’t give a happy crap, do they! Queen Moonbat LIED when she said it would be the most “ethical Congress ever”. I see NOTHING ethical about they way they spend OUR money!
The appropriations bill in question is the Fiscal 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, or simply Labor/HHS. “In typical Congressional fashion, the Labor/HHS bill is loaded with pork projects and wasteful spending from both Democrats and Republicans,” the CAGW said in its release.
Why should anyone be surprised that BOTH parties are screwing us?
But Dave Helfert, press secretary for CAGW’s top “porker,” i.e., earmark spender, Rep. Neal Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) - who had more dollars earmarked for himself than any other member in Congress - said that CAGW’s earmark assessment missed the mark.
“We welcome the praise,” said Helfert, responding to CAGW’s charge that Abercrombie was the top spender. “It’s hardly anything to be ashamed of.”
Is he freakin’ SH*TTIN’ me???? They should ALL be ashamed of their careless disregard of the US taxpayer! What an unbelievable a$$hole!!
Unlike other budget items, earmarks are not requested from specific government agencies and presented in a hearing before a congressional committee. That means they might not receive the scrutiny that the more traditional expenditures receive.
Every single dime these weasels put into a bill, ANY bill, should be scrutinized. EVERY dime! They have gotten away with this type of crap for so long, they just laugh at us when we point out it’s not THEIR money.
The top three CAGW “porkers” were Abercrombie, with $168.5 million; Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), with $161.3 million; and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), with $148.5 million.
Oh, now there’s a shocker. (insert massive sarcasm here) The top 3 are Dhimmis, to the tune of FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS ($478.3 million). That, of course, does NOT excuse the Pubbies who also inserted their little projects into the bill.
Among the earmarks highlighted by CAGW were the following:
– $25 million by 30 House members for the National Writing Project, which the Department of Education (DoE) did not request because $3 billion already exists to improve the writing skills of teachers.
If a teacher doesn’t know how to write, he/she shouldn’t be a flippin’ teacher!
– $175,000 by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Ca.), Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Ca.), and Mary Bono (R-Ca.) for the Autry National Center for the American West, which “explores the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West,” according to its Web site.
This sounds like something that should be a private funding enterprise, not what MY tax dollars should support.
– $150,000 by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) for the American Ballet Theatre in New York for “educational activities.” The American Ballet Theatre has already received $28 million from private fundraising.
Uh….NO. This too is a private enterprise. Unless every child in the US is going to benefit from taking ballet lessons in NY, I don’t think I need to support them.
– $100,000 by House appropriator Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) for the Toledo GROWS High School Garden Learning Initiative, a “community gardening outreach program.”
Stick a seed in the ground, water it, and see if it grows. Wouldn’t this be a biology class in the real world?
I will repeat myself here: Wipe the slate clean! Vote against every single incumbent that is up for re-election! I don’t give a flip which party initial they have behind their name. Do this often enough, we just MIGHT take back control of our country, and OUR money!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
