A brain synapse to nowhere
October 20th 2006 01:58
Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed a bill back in April requiring the creation of a publicly accessible database containing details about government-awarded funds -- who got them, what the amounts were, etc. This was a refreshing piece of legislation that would shed sunlight on a system with much potential for corruption. The legislation was sailing through Congress, as it should have, when an anonymous senator placed a hold on the bill. After a public outcry, Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) stepped up and admitted that he was the roadblock.
If you'll recall, Stevens was the Senator who championed the infamous "bridge to nowhere". This was one of two bridges in Alaska that would benefit only a handful of people. This particular bridge had a price tag of $223M. When other senators dared to question this expense, Stevens became defensive and even threatened to resign if he didn't get his way.
Stevens ultimately relented and let the bill go through the Senate. Moving at the speed of politics (slowlyyyy…), the bill finally cleared all necessary hurdles was signed into law by President Bush on September 26th.
Stevens, while notorious for his ability to secure wasteful, high-dollar projects for his low-population (i.e., low tax-revenue) state, is certainly not the only politician who plays fast and loose with our tax dollars. He is just the latest and greatest to be egregiously wasteful. The use of earmarks to sneak in pork projects on bills has been spinning out of control for way too long.
So the question is: What can we do to get our elected officials to start behaving more judiciously with our tax dollars?
In terms of corrective measures, the first step would involve getting rid of folks like Stevens. He helps to destroy the credibility of Congress because of his wasteful spending and his shameless political favors benefitting his campaign contributors. I hope that the good people of Alaska do the right thing and replace him as soon as they possibly can.
A second step would be the elimination of the provision whereby a senator can anonymously put a hold on a bill. That's a ridiculous way to govern. As tax-paying constituents, we have a right to know what legislative actions our elected officials take.
Finally, I think that we should do away with earmarks altogether. It’s obvious that some of our elected officials are simply unable to control themselves when it comes to the wastefulness of the projects they champion. And, despite passage of Senator Coburn’s bill, a determined politician will always find loopholes to sneak in their pet projects. Any huge project that needs to be funded should go through a thorough vetting process and should be introduced in a bill of its own. These projects need to be evaluated on their own merits and not slipped into the fine print on a large (and often unrelated) bill.
These proposed solutions aren’t panaceas, but they would at least be an honest attempt at reforming a system that is long overdue for an integrity-check.
If you'll recall, Stevens was the Senator who championed the infamous "bridge to nowhere". This was one of two bridges in Alaska that would benefit only a handful of people. This particular bridge had a price tag of $223M. When other senators dared to question this expense, Stevens became defensive and even threatened to resign if he didn't get his way.
Stevens ultimately relented and let the bill go through the Senate. Moving at the speed of politics (slowlyyyy…), the bill finally cleared all necessary hurdles was signed into law by President Bush on September 26th.
Stevens, while notorious for his ability to secure wasteful, high-dollar projects for his low-population (i.e., low tax-revenue) state, is certainly not the only politician who plays fast and loose with our tax dollars. He is just the latest and greatest to be egregiously wasteful. The use of earmarks to sneak in pork projects on bills has been spinning out of control for way too long.
So the question is: What can we do to get our elected officials to start behaving more judiciously with our tax dollars?
In terms of corrective measures, the first step would involve getting rid of folks like Stevens. He helps to destroy the credibility of Congress because of his wasteful spending and his shameless political favors benefitting his campaign contributors. I hope that the good people of Alaska do the right thing and replace him as soon as they possibly can.
A second step would be the elimination of the provision whereby a senator can anonymously put a hold on a bill. That's a ridiculous way to govern. As tax-paying constituents, we have a right to know what legislative actions our elected officials take.
Finally, I think that we should do away with earmarks altogether. It’s obvious that some of our elected officials are simply unable to control themselves when it comes to the wastefulness of the projects they champion. And, despite passage of Senator Coburn’s bill, a determined politician will always find loopholes to sneak in their pet projects. Any huge project that needs to be funded should go through a thorough vetting process and should be introduced in a bill of its own. These projects need to be evaluated on their own merits and not slipped into the fine print on a large (and often unrelated) bill.
These proposed solutions aren’t panaceas, but they would at least be an honest attempt at reforming a system that is long overdue for an integrity-check.
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