Friday, June 11, 2010
Local 'earmarks' run a stop sign |
The earmark thing has NOT gone away.
It's really a very minor portion of the federal budget; however, it IS a hot-button issue, mostly because it is used questionably, not to mention on the sly.
My guess is that very little, if anything, has changed...
It's really a very minor portion of the federal budget; however, it IS a hot-button issue, mostly because it is used questionably, not to mention on the sly.
My guess is that very little, if anything, has changed...
Mark Weiner reports at Syracuse.com:
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid down the law this year: To prevent the appearance of Congress doing unethical favors for big campaign contributors, she told Democrats they could no longer steer federal money directly to corporations. The only 'earmarks' members could seek in spending bills would be for nonprofits.
Pelosi in March called it a 'critical reform that addresses concerns that many Americans have.'
'It ensures that for-profit companies no longer reap the rewards of congressional earmarks and limits the influence of lobbyists on members of Congress,' she said.
But not everyone is obeying Pelosi’s tough talk."
