I just read a government article regarding earmarkin "pork barrel"
What do you make of this practice?
If we dont like it how can we stop it?
Is this necessary the best approch toward funding?
2007-11-05 15:15:42 · 5 answers · asked by Confused 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Pork barrel is the practice of politicians to get money from the coffers of government and make selective projects to their constituents that vote for them in elections.
2007-11-05 15:18:21 · answer #1 · answered by FRAGINAL, JTM 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Congressmen & women wish for special projects to be passed by the House, Senate, and President will add to a Bill that is sure to pass as an "earmark". It may have nothing whatsoever to do the the bill. The most famous recent one was the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska. These special projects are from constituents or lobbiests. By approving the Line Item Veto the President could in effect line out the rediculous earmarks or porkbarrel and pass the bill without them.
2007-11-05 23:23:36 · answer #2 · answered by rance42 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Now you know what pork is.
Congress has an immense amount of power and handing out the pork is a major source of it. They guarantee themselves votes and income by ensuring their major contributors and constituency are taken care of.
One way to curb federal pork is to resume lawmaking according to the Constitution. There is no provision there for things like the Dept of Education, or HUD, or the IRS, or many of the other gigantic federal agencies who tend to rule our daily lives.
The ONLY way it will end is for the voters to elect new people into those offices who will stop the runaway freight train that is government spending. One such candidate would be Ron Paul, running for president.
Also, investigate and seriously consider voting for any candidate in your area running as a Libertarian. Libertarians tend to want to curb or abolish the participation of the federal government in areas not provided for in the Constitution.
2007-11-05 23:42:37 · answer #3 · answered by MIKE F. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pork sucks. There are calls for congress to have to list their pork but it hasn't happened yet. You too can bust pork by getting the word out.
http://www.porkbusters.org/
http://cagw.org/
http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/
I disagree with the line item veto. The pork that is sponsored by a partymate of whomever is in the White House will still pass. Pork is pork - regardless of who shoves it through. I want it all gone, regardless of party.
2007-11-05 23:21:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
One man's earmark is another's pork barrel line item veto is what we need to separate the wheat from the chaff
2007-11-05 23:25:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋