Washington's pork is bleeding us all dry. (Congress, dollars, politicians)

[Delaneyland]

After hearing a news blip yesterday about so called Earmarks, I did a little research today and find it appalling. Of course, every politician will defend their little pet projects, but in 2006 our fine do nothing congress approved some 9 trillion, 56 million dollars in earmarks. I had to type out the number, $9,056,000,000. That is one big pile of cash. Realizing there are legitimate programs and expenditures, I looked at some ( I didn't have time to look at ALL of them) and am simply floored by what some of the money went for. We've got sick and dying elderly, kids, "working poor", and others all over this country and our wonderful politicians are spending money like drunken sailors on meaningless endeavors many of them personally benefit from. Oh, for you sailors, I didn't mean to insult you by comparing politicians to sailors, but its the best analogy I could think of at the moment. When will taxpayers hold these politicians accountable for what they do and don't do??

[GregW]

Please remember that pork is not wasteful to the conrtractor doing the work and he will generally show his appreciation by donating to the reelection of the politician that arranged the pork.

Some earmarks are funny, others are appalling. I would rather spend a couple of hundred thousand on a local tourist information center than a couple of billion on three cargo planes the air force did not even ask for. There is pork and there is the whole damn pig.