How Does This Happen?

What I am about to write is not for the faint of heart. And if you've been desensitized to it, SHAME ON YOU. Everyone has been talking about those darn earmarks (Pork). Whether you like the bill or not, perhaps its better if you get a little more acquainted with some of the truly ridiculous amounts of money that the Congress of the United States is sending back home - for votes. Yes, I meant what I said, for votes. Do you want to know how I know this? I'm sure you do, it is after all a judgement and definitely should be backed up. What I've got is a disclaimer. Its put on the White House website's OMB (Office of Management and Budget) page.

This database is not designed, and cannot accurately be used, to identify the congressional sponsors of earmarks. In addition, the recipient listed in the database may not in all cases represent the ultimate beneficiary of the earmark.

Okay, lets break this down, for my benefit. The database on the OMB website does not "accurately" point out which member of Congress sponsored the earmark. Oh yeah, and the people who the database says is getting the money, might not be the "ultimate beneficiary of the earmark." May not be the ultimate beneficiary? Doesn't point out who sponsored the earmark (pork)? Thats pretty suspicious, in my humble opinion. These Congress members are not identified in their reports. Its just a calculation of earmarks. I think its safe to say that protection was the driving force behind that one. Protection against what, you say? Votes. Bad Publicity. Anger. Tossing their sorry butts back on the street for an honest job.

Alright, now to the scary stuff. The OMB reports that there were a total of 13,496 individual earmarks (pork). I wish that that was the number of dollars, too, but alas. 13,496 earmarks add up to no less than $19,037,681,000 in 2005. Lets see, carry the two... Thats 19.03 (B)illion Dollars. That's Billion with a "B." This is how much money our Congress has seen fit to send back to the rest of the states and territories and even overseas. This is how much the Congress felt it should get to spend instead of us. I'm sure some of it was necessary, I'm not denying that. Let me illustrate my incredulity.

Congress voted to allow $412,000 to be spent on "exhibits and educational programs" in the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota. All when the structure of the nations bridges are under question, because of the bridge collapse in Minnesota.

What about the $866,000 the Federal government sent to the city of Minneapolis? It was for "combined sewer overflow." The Federal government is funding the cities of states? I'm not sure I read in the Constitution that the Federal government is supposed to be supporting cities. I understand catastrophe, like Hurricane Katrina and the bridge collapse. But c'mon, couldn't Minneapolis' "combined sewer overflow" been paid by, oh, I dunno Minnesotans? Or better yet, citizens of Minneapolis? Why did Missouri's citizens pay for some project for Minneapolis? It doesn't make any sense, especially with our states taxing us to take care of running the state (including its cities). It doesn't make any sense for the Federal government to fund cities that also tax citizens to run themselves.

It is past time for the Congress of the United States to bug out of state affairs and allow the cities and states to handle their own problems (except defense, infrastructure, etc.). This money that Congress feels it can just blow away is our money. They have so much money in Washington that they have no idea where it all goes. Maybe more of that money should be distributed among the states by giving that money back to citizens (or never collecting it in the first place) and letting the states tax as they need, or cities. Congress has no business funding projects in our nation's cities, save for Washington, D.C. To add insult to injury, there is no accurate way of finding out who sponsored these pet projects or who the "ultimate beneficiary" was. Maybe a little more sunshine in Washington would scare away the monsters from under our bed. Maybe a little more sunshine would help member of Congress to remember that its our money they are spending.

(Here is that White House page : http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/earmarks/preview-public-site/statesc49e.html?source=APP&mode=agencies)