Thursday, October 18, 2007
Politicians - "Flower Power Pork"
Earmark addictions are extremely hard to overcome...
In the Washington Post, Robert D. Novak tells about some:
"Will the Democratic-controlled Senate approve a $1 million earmark to celebrate Woodstock-era baby boomers, carved out of a bill funding health care and education? It will, because it is sponsored by New York's influential Democratic senators, Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer. It will, because they are promoting the pet project of a big-time Democratic campaign contributor.
Nevertheless, as the Senate began consideration of the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education appropriations bill yesterday, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma proposed an amendment to eliminate the earmark. The $1 million would go to the performing arts center of the Bethel Museum in Liberty, N.Y., at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival. Coburn argues that a 'taxpayer-funded Woodstock flashback' would cut into the government's Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program grants.
That fits a new approach in Coburn's crusade against earmarks. He has told his colleagues that their addiction to pork wastes money that otherwise would build bridges, regulate mine safety and litigate civil rights cases. All to no avail so far. The lawmakers still embrace pork and reject Coburn by the same big margins by which they passed the infamous Alaskan 'Bridge to Nowhere' in the previous Congress."
