Archive for the Earmarks Category

An Earful About Earmarks (April 25, 2011)

Posted in Congress, Constitution, Debt/Deficits, Earmarks on April 25, 2011 by e-commentary.org

. . .

5          “The era of earmarks is not over.”

C          “I hear that we have not heard the last.  Earmarks are misunderstood.  How many citizens really know what they are criticizing.  Remember the typical two stages of a bill in Congress.  One committee ‘authorizes’ a law that authorizes an activity or program.  After the other bills in the other authorizing committees are authorized, the Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees review them and ‘appropriate’ funds when appropriate.  After review, the authorized activity or program may or may not be appropriated funds.”

5          “The Interior Committee authorizes an activity or program and then the appropriate subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee appropriates money.”

C          “And with more steps in the process, there are fewer spending opportunities.”

5          “An earmark is a way to bypass this settled procedure and practice.  More powerful Representatives and Senators are able to slip spending provisions into bills without Congressional oversight.”

C          “The oversight is the lack of oversight.”

5          “Right.  The authorization/appropriation process is a way and a means to maintain internal checks and balances.  Today, there are too many checks being written by the government and too little balance.  The amount involved admittedly is just a drop in a deluge of deficits and debt.  However, allowing earmarks reflects a lack of disciple and purpose.”

C          “Earmarks are not unconstitutional.  Earmarks are not illegal.  Earmarks are perfectly legal.  But hear me out.  Earmarks are a leading cause of deficit spending.”

. . .

Bumper stickers of the week:

One man’s earmark is another man’s sage expenditure

Authorize And Appropriate; Avoid Earmark Expenditures

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Joe Miller, Alaska and America: Now What? (September 27, 2010)

Posted in Congress, Earmarks, Political Parties on September 27, 2010 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C     “What if the Blue States accept Alaska’s recent offer, albeit tendered by a minority of mobilized voters, and cease providing massive subsidies, transfers, earmarks and grants to Alaska?”

S     “De-commission the Denali Commission, a federally-funded agency developing Alaska infrastructure?  Do away with SBA (Small Business Administration) Section 8(a) that provides preferences for Natives and veterans in federal contracting?  Provision the Native Hospitals exclusively with ANCSA (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) Section 7(i) profits?  Ban federally-funded home care nurses from entering tax-assisted Alaska homes spewing Fox propaganda on state-subsidized televisions?  Support the Alaska Financial Independence Bill:  “No federal funds shall be authorized, appropriated or expended for the use or benefit of the state of Alaska until all of the funds in the Alaska Permanent Fund have been exhausted for such purposes”?”

C     “On the national level, divert funds from the Department of Education to the Department of Ignorance?  Move from Social Security to Social Insecurity?”

S     “Do Alaskans want outside interests such as the Koch brothers of California to determine elections the way the Seattle fishing syndicate dominated Alaska life before statehood?  What about the growing influence of the Alaskan Taliban – the radical reactionary religious right?  Joe Miller is a certified nut case, but do those in Alaska like him because he is like them?”

C     “Is he the plaid Sarah Plain/Palin?  Can Lisa Murkowski mount a successful write-in campaign?  And who is Scott McAdams?”

S     “The far, far right versus the far right?”

C     “The election is less about electing persons than it is about defining the Alaskan people.”

S     “These elections are less about electing persons than they are about defining the American people.”

. . .

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/the_red_state_ripoff.html

Bumper stickers of the week:

Alaska Politics:  Louisiana with fjords, New Jersey without the charm, Uganda with receding glaciers

Alaska Politics:  Chinatown North

Alaska:  Building Bridges to Nowhere

My wheel dog is smarter than your lead dog.

What occurs in Alaska [the Pacific Northwet?] after two days of rain?  A sunny Monday.

On a Prius:

After two days rain

What occurs in Alaska?

A sunny Monday

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