Speaker Pelosi's "defense" earmark

[RoyalShock]

An interesting challenge by Arizona congressman Jeff Flake of a $2.5 million earmark in a defense appropriations bill to benefit high-end housing in her district (San Fran).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McEz2l1EvDs

Listen through to the end. His amendment to remove the earmark fails a voice vote (of those who actually bothered to attend).

[WuDrWu]

Just one more reason the death penalty should be more widely enforced.


The fact that Nancy Pelosi is 2 short steps from the Presidency not only keeps me awake most nights, but should be enough to convince every Democrat in the entire country that the leadership in your party is a complete wack job.

[Shirley Schmidt]

It is not surprising, nothing will ever change in Washington.

They say what we want hear and do as they please.

Like the immigration bill, lots of hot rhetoric and nothing accomplished, both sides blaming each other so they can look good.

There is no difference between a democrat or republican they have a strangle hold on the system in this country and it is going to stay that way.

It really is pathetic.

[RoyalShock]

When you have citizens and local media that criticize their elected officials for not getting that money to come back, it's no wonder so many politicians have sold out to this line of thinking. Then the ones who come along to fight - I'll call them patriots - against the establishment get black-balled.

Kudos to the district in Arizona who sent Jeff Flake to congress.

I watched a video of him appearing on Faux News. Some interesting facts:

- These appropriations bills can contain 2000-2500 earmarks.
- Once they hit the House floor, representatives get about one day to look them over, identify and draft amendments (like to remove an earmark) and bring them up for a vote.
- Flake has challenged 100 earmarks in two years and has only succeeded in getting one removed.

Not surprisingly, he's finding it very difficult to get on the Appropriations Committee.

[RoyalShock]

Young people, are you paying attention to what you're going to inherit? A country in virtual bankruptcy where, if things don't change, you, your children and your grandchildren are going to be stuck suffering the greatest consequences.

Don't just sit back and assume the current batch of legislators will fix things. They won't. They'll only continue to patch here and there, putting off the inevitable. Do something about it.

[ABC]

I wish I had the energy to comment more.

But thanks for pointing this out.

Jeff Flake is a stud and a true political hero.

Our Kansas congressmen and women are making some questionable earmarks too.

Rep. Boyda requested more than a $1MM for a fake prison in Leavenworth.

[WSU Shocker]

I love the expressions of the woman sitting behind him.

[kawwsu77]

And then we have our own Rep. Tiahrt. Face it they do it on both sides of the aisle. If they didn't then their people in their district will complain their politicians are not bringing any pork back home.

[BOBB]

The actors don't matter. The system is the problem. If our congressman didn't bring home the bacon we'd bounce him out. What about the $1million to help catch BTK? Doesn't matter that he caught himself.

I had a friend from LA when I was in the army. He was telling me one time about looting stores during the Rodney King riots. He was saying that he wasn't pissed, but once the buffet was opened up, he would have been a sucker to leave anything on the table. I see some parallels.

[BOBB]

Why we should vote McCain

[RoyalShock]

I think earmarks have their place, however, they should be used to help the people deal with the regulations forced upon them by the government.

Full disclosure time for me as I may be a little biased.

I'm on the city council of a small town. New EPA/KDHE regulations forced us to upgrade our wastewater treatment facility to the tune of $1 million. This added $15 to our citizen's monthly sewer bill. In about a year we will finish paying off the last upgrade forced upon us by gov't regulations.

A new set of regulations (which the gov't has been unable to justify with scientific evidence, but hey, they can do what they want) is going to require us to make what will probably be another $1 million upgrade to our water treatment facility, all to be passed on to our citizens.

Small communities have a much harder time paying for these improvements than larger population centers. As a result it becomes more difficult to maintain our current population, let alone grow. But we get no assistance. It's one of the reasons rural America struggles. If we didn't have a nice, clean town with good schools and low crime, this type of stuff would kill our community.

Ok, I'm done with my rant.

[BA2929]

Our country's process for acquiring leadership is pathetic. Sucking up to people shouldn't be a reason to run the country but that's exactly how our country gets its leaders. The people who suck up enough and have enough money get to run our country. This isn't a professional sports franchise, that shouldn't be how it is.
-We're $9,202,751,286,121 in debt right now and it goes up $1.42 billion per day, yet we're spending $2.5 million on a park in one of the richest neighborhoods in the nation when we could be using it to pay for something that'll actually help us. Good job government, good job. :roll:

Congratulations, we really are the dumbest country in the world.


PS: The girl behind him was very attractive, she was pretty much the only thing that held my attention for the entire 4:30. They should put girls like that behind the President and during all the campaign debates. I'd probably watch them all. :good:

[Ixiah]

Just one more reason the death penalty should be more widely enforced.


The fact that Nancy Pelosi is 2 short steps from the Presidency not only keeps me awake most nights, but should be enough to convince every Democrat in the entire country that the leadership in your party is a complete wack job.

Wack jobs that at least are not going to bankrupt the country. In 200 + years the prior administrations (under both Republican and Democrat administrations) had yet to create total of 6 trillion in debt. The country under the Bush administration and the Republican congress added nearly 3 trillion in just 6 short years.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/USDebt.png

The only leveling of that line in the past 30 years was under a Democrat president.

[BOBB]

I think earmarks have their place, however, they should be used to help the people deal with the regulations forced upon them by the government.

Full disclosure time for me as I may be a little biased.

I'm on the city council of a small town. New EPA/KDHE regulations forced us to upgrade our wastewater treatment facility to the tune of $1 million. This added $15 to our citizen's monthly sewer bill. In about a year we will finish paying off the last upgrade forced upon us by gov't regulations.

A new set of regulations (which the gov't has been unable to justify with scientific evidence, but hey, they can do what they want) is going to require us to make what will probably be another $1 million upgrade to our water treatment facility, all to be passed on to our citizens.

Small communities have a much harder time paying for these improvements than larger population centers. As a result it becomes more difficult to maintain our current population, let alone grow. But we get no assistance. It's one of the reasons rural America struggles. If we didn't have a nice, clean town with good schools and low crime, this type of stuff would kill our community.

Ok, I'm done with my rant.

So are you saying the federal government should pay for things it mandates? Ridiculous!

[RoyalShock]

I know, BoBB. I'm a radical!