Is congress breaking the law? Is this really ok with the taxpayers?

Question

20 BILLION in pork added to Iraq bill. I do not care if you are a Republican or a Democrat, is it ok with you that pork is used as a bribe (the only word I could think of) to insure a bill will pass? I realize this is not the first time this has happened but 20 billion in added fluff, come on folks how can we possible justify spending our taxpayers money in such a way?

Put aside your political preference, is this kind of spending with OUR tax dollars ok with you?

http://www.examiner.com/a-619204~Congress_loads_up__20_billion_in_pork.html

My bad 22 billion but hey whats another couple billion among friends?

Answer 1

I do not think they are breaking a law but I find it certainly unethical and since I am a kind of right or wrong person I find it wrong. This is the key problem in having careerists in congress, they are unethical.

If someone is unethical, meaning they do things that are wrong, is there any guarantee that they will only be unethical and not do anything illegal? I suspect if you have the ethics of a common congressman, you also have the ethics of a common criminal.

I do not want pork or earmarks. I vote for people for that reason. It is not their money it is ours.

If they do not like the war then do what they can legally to stop it, that is stop the funding, expect a veto and then see if you have enough votes to overturn the veto. It really is that simple, yet these people stoop to dispicable behavior rather than doing the right thing. And what makes it worse is they were voted into control because of corruption, which is really a joke. They were voted in because of lies and deceit.

I am sick of congress, I am sick of American laziness and ignorance that continue to elect corrupt career politicians. I want government for the people, not for special interests. I want TERM LIMITS NOW!

The real problem in America is stupidity, special interest and/or laziness of the voter. How does a person who takes bribes on video, laughs about the ineptness of the FBI and puts $100K in a freezer get elected 8 times? And then the Senate leaders yell and scream about separation of powers. Yes they are right, it is about their power and even if it is against the law, you will not thwart their power.

You have career politicians running the government, not citizen legislators. Many accuse the career corporate CEO of only working for themselves, not the stockholders. Career politicians are NO different and they seem to think they are above the law and expect preferential treatment. If the only issue to remaining in power is to obtain cash, buy some votes with special interests and have the media spotlight, then the incumbent has it easy, all at your expense.

In the Senate there are:
44 Dems averaging 20.8 years in Congress
55 Reps averaging 16.1 years in Congress

these numbers begin to make it look like career politicians are in control, who have lost touch with you the citizen and are more entrenched in their own careers.

For the Senate, if you were to use two terms or 12 years in Congress as a term limit
25 Dems would need to leave and 25 Reps would need to leave.
Those Dems are averaging 27.1 years in Congress
Those Reps averaging 24.0 years.

80% of Dems in the Senate have been there more than 12 years
58% of Repubs have.

46% of Dems in the House have been there more than 12 years
32% of Repubs have.

Ben Franklin said of congress, "They are of the People, and return again to mix with the People, having no more durable preeminence than the different Grains of Sand in an Hourglass. Such an Assembly cannot easily become dangerous to Liberty. They are the Servants of the People, sent together to do the People's Business, and promote the public Welfare; their Powers must be sufficient, or their Duties cannot be performed. They have no profitable Appointments, but a mere Payment of daily Wages, such as are scarcely equivalent to their Expences; so that, having no Chance for great Places, and enormous Salaries or Pensions, as in some Countries, there is no triguing or bribing for Elections"

If you like the current political system continue voting along partisan lines. If however you are tired of the corrupt ways of elections and would like to see Franklins words be true again, vote for change.

Our country is being run by career politicians who for the most part appear to have lost touch with what you want, and are focused on what they want.

You can change this NOW.
1. Quit your partisan sniping, it is childish and only serves to remove the focus from the real problem in America.
2. Enlist your friends and family in the fight and ask them, if they agree about Congress to do the same.
3. Vote against the person who has 12 or more combined years in Congress
4. This will require in many instances you having to vote for someone outside of your normal party, but you are a patriot and you can do what is right.

Show congress in this next election that we the people are running things in this country, not career politicians. And we are going to do what is right.

I will end now with a favorite quote of mine.

“If a legislator is "safe" from competition, or if he represents groups with the same economic and political beliefs, he does not have to change his ideas or respond to the needs of the broader population. He can rest content with a mediocre, absentee performance knowing he will be returned to office. And as he is returned year after year the seniority system gives him immense control over people from other parts of the country whose views he need not heed at all.” -Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Decisions for a Decade

Answer 2

Yeah, it's a travesty. We need to dethrone these monarchs. We've got to find a way to stop this bill COLD. No compromises. I'd rather have NO bill than any relation to this bill. At least then we could start a grassroots movement to find the employers of illegals and the illegals themselves. Also, we can beef up the Minutemen, or create other organizations that do a similar job. Also, we can push for legislation in our states to "encourage" the illegals to leave. If we can stop the bill, we have a chance of fixing this mess ourselves. If we can't stop the bill, then we'll have to work in more devious ways. Got any devious ideas on how we can subvert this bill if it becomes law?

Answer 3

No, congress is not breaking the law adding pork to bills. However, they are not helping their chances of getting re-elected in the next election cycle.


FYI Charity,

The line item veto was not removed by congress. It was ruled unconsitutional by the Supreme Court.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-item_veto

Answer 4

NO! I could use 20 billion to help the Tax payer/but like u said and i say its wrong but this Government is no longer the peoples Government its turn into a Tyrant! A War Machine That tells Us what to do and how to do it.If we refuse we pay higher TAXS or go to jail. we are slaves.

Answer 5

No, but it was the Republican Congress that removed the Presidential Power of line item veto. We had it during the Clinton administration. But you are correct, this shouldn't happen on any bill, let alone on one of the most divisive issues in the country.

Answer 6

Its called "POLITICS!"

Get Real!

Name one bill that has not passed by Congress in the last 30 years that didn't have any Pork in it!

Lo Siento!

Answer 7

The dims can't pass a bill on it's own merits. They want to use our Troops as pawns. If the dims had any faith in what they believe in, they would draw up a bill that was strictly for funding for our Troops.

Answer 8

It is not breaking the law but the ethics involved here is appalling, 100 million for citrus fruit? I love orange juice also but 100 million? Also I do not know if you noticed or not but the lawmakers themselves added some extra "fluff" in there for themselves also with some new digs for the FDA. Who eats spinach? 25 million for spinach? I know its good for you but its gross. No it is no fine with me I think the government should be cleaned up.

Answer 9

i feel like they do it every day!!!!!!!!!!!!