Death of earmarks and busted parents

by YankeeJim | November 16, 2010 at 04:01 am

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Call them earmarks or call them plus-ups, the era of pet project funding by senior ranking members is going the way of Senator Byrd and Congressman Jack Murtha. That is crass, but that could be true.

The question remains, how to fund small towns and communities in states that have been dependent upon them for economic viability. The answer is, those communities will die unless they can perform in the market of commercial enterprise.

The entire state of West Virginia has been on federal welfare since its inception. Maybe now it will learn how to compete in the world on its own. Such states have no choice.

Yet, there will be political fallout – unemployed people, communities stranded in poverty. You cannot depend on Federal Government for a rescue because big government parents are busted too.

“"Make no mistake, I know the good that has come from the projects I have helped support throughout my state. I don't apologize for them," McConnell said. "But there is simply no doubt that the abuse of this practice has caused Americans to view it as a symbol of the waste and the out-of-control spending that every Republican in Washington is determined to fight. And unless people like me show the American people that we're willing to follow through on small or even symbolic things, we risk losing them on our broader efforts to cut spending and rein in government."

In a statement, President Obama said he embraced McConnell's decision.

"I welcome Senator McConnell's decision to join me and members of both parties who support cracking down on wasteful earmark spending, which we can't afford during these tough economic times," Obama said. "As a Senator, I helped eliminate anonymous earmarks, and as President, I've called for new limitations on earmarks and set new, higher standards of transparency and accountability."”