Posted on 11/13/2006 1:22:58 PM PST by BMC1
WASHINGTON — When the House passed a massive spending bill last November, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi made sure her constituents knew what they were getting.
"Pelosi Secures $115 Million for San Francisco Transportation, Housing, Science and Arts," she proclaimed in a news release.
It wasn't an unusual announcement. Like many of her colleagues in Congress, Pelosi for years has celebrated bringing home the bacon to her district.
But now — as Pelosi prepares to take over the House after an election in which scandal helped drive Republicans from power — she is promising changes to the controversial practice of earmarking.
Earmarks are spending provisions dropped into bills — often anonymously, at the last minute and without public scrutiny. They were at the center of several high-profile scandals that undermined the GOP this year, when earmarks benefited special interests.
Pelosi has not been linked to any impropriety. And not all the federal funding Pelosi boasts about came from earmarks. But the presumed new House speaker has proved a champion practitioner of the earmarking process over the years.
During the last congressional session, her district received far more earmarks than a typical district, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog that tracks congressional spending.
Pelosi has helped direct tens of millions of dollars to subway and bridge projects in San Francisco. She has secured money to restore a historic schooner and convert the old San Francisco Mint into a history museum.
Citizens Against Government Waste, a critic of such "pork-barrel" spending, has calculated that Pelosi's district received nearly $31.3 million through earmarks in the last two fiscal years.
Among the biggest earmarks identified by the group were $5.6 million for the UC San Francisco neurology department and $4 million for Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Both were inserted into the 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
If Pelosi actually eliminated of 100% all earmarks she would get my vote in 2008.
But we know that hell will freeze over first.
Hopefully W will now feel free to finally veto some of the pork laden spending bills ...
Well, the good news is that all of this pork is going to come to a screeching halt when the US government goes bust.
"Hopefully W will now feel free to finally veto some of the pork laden spending bills ..."
Why will he feel free now?
You still have some hope that Bush's wild borrowing and spending spree was caused by some other actor than Bush.
It wasn't.
I wonder how long they sat on this story.
Or facemarking, for that matter.
I think it was a faceoff between the editor and the writers.
Or facelifting.
Changes to earmarks? HA! I'll believe it when I see it!
And bust they will go when me and my fellow boomers retire. I can't wait to see Congress squirm!!!!
Unfortunately, the guys who are causing the problem will either be dead, or 90. 90 would not be so bad if the sitting Congress at the time would simply revoke their pensions and benefits.
IF that's the good news…pray tell what is the bad news?
Well, I am just so glad the LA Times is deciding to reveal this information today.
It's all based upon the old Liberal axiom…TRUST and NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER VERIFY!
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