The Unwritten Sousa March – "Bankruptcy Forever"-(gov't misuse of $$ - this'll curl your hair!)

A.I.M.ORG ^ | JUNE 24, 2005 | Marion Edwyn Harrison, ESQ. Guest Columnist

[CHARLITE]

Were a lyricist to pen words to this imaginary "Bankruptcy Forever" March the lyricist could combine the serious with the absurd. Alas, absurdity often plays well in Congress.

Because there is no effective germaneness requirement in the Senate Rules, human imagination cannot envision the projects upon which Congress appropriate taxpayers' money.

How about $1.5 million for a bus stop in Anchorage? ("The Streetcar Named Desire" in New Orleans evidently struck out but "The Bus Stop Named Profligate" made it.) Or $1 million toward the National Flag Museum in Pittsburgh? ("National" Flag in Pittsburgh?) Or $1 million for a DNA study of bears in Montana? (Can you "bear" it?) Or $3.5 million to restore the Vulcan Monument in Birmingham? (The Roman God of Fire?) Or, mere child's-play money, only $350,000.00 to restore the U. S. House of Representatives Beauty Salon? (An unanticipated cost of ladies in Congress?) Or, cheaper yet, only $90,000.00 for the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth? (Who are these "National" cows and girls and cowgirls in Fort Worth?)

More seriously, Heritage Foundation Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies scholar Brian M. Riedl calculates Congressional largesse now adds annually to $22,039 per American household. (Has your family collected yet?)

Perhaps a further compounding of the trouble is that billions are "lost" or at least according to normal accounting practice are unaccounted for. The Riedl study estimates about $25 billion expended in the Fiscal Year 2003 (concluding October 1, 2003) has disappeared.

[CHARLITE]

Once you read this entertaining, yet all too factually correct column, you begin to think of all sorts of song titles which would fit into the runaway spending projects devised by our representatives.

How about, "It had to be you..."? (the taxpayer...because otherwise, we couldn't do these things.") Isn't there a song, "My One and Only?" Well, their "one and only" happens to be however many millions of us there are, who pay taxes for the benefit of government flights of fancy.........like, we really need DNA studies on bears. Don't we?

[Fiddlstix]

[backhoe]

CHARLITE, my tagline is a true saying of my Father's. Far too many people think "the government" ( federal, state, or local ) has this Great Big Bag O' money that they can dip into... problem being, it isn't "the government's money"-- it's the Peoples.

It comes, ultimately, from citizens, because even a business, although it pays taxes, just passes them on to the customers.

Unfortunately, the only way politicians can gain support is by showering voters with "other peoples money..."

[tet68]

Hey, I'm up for the Cowgirl Museum, they are awesome.
It's been a while since I've ridden one but WOW!