Well I sure am glad you pointed that out, now I know we don’t have to get upset when Hilldog proposes more Woodstock museums, or other congressmen pork up on hog smell research, shrimp farming, or lizard habitats.. it is so small, the Constitutional authority doesn’t matter.. glad to know that..
I don’t think Ron Paul honestly thinks there is constitutional authority for the earmarks. If he does, then he is wrong. I always thought his thinking is-—if your house is on fire, do you tell the firefighters to save your mailbox? I don’t think the fed gov’t should pay for shrimp farming ,etc. I just think Ron Paul needs to be more explicit on the other 99% of spending.
I also think of his position this way——I oppose the federal mortgage interest deduction. I oppose federal tax breaks for charity. I oppose federal tax credits for having children. But I take them. Why? Because my tax rate assumes I will take these deductions, and if I don’t, I am taxed higher. (full disclosure: I am a fair taxer)
The earmarks are there, and they are the one part of the budget that has a destination in something that will do somebody some good. The rest just bloats the government Shrimp farming doesn’t destroy our freedom. The Dept of Education and countless others do destroy freedom. Why not spend our time and effort there?