What Congress Did Is Disgusting

Real Clear Politics ^ | October 26, 2005 | John Stossel

[Tom87]

You heard what the Senate did to Tom Coburn's attempt to impose some sanity on spending.

How do they live with themselves?

Years ago, interviewing economist Walter Williams for a show ABC News called "Greed," I was perplexed when Williams said, "a thief is more moral than a congressman; when a thief steals your money, he doesn't demand you thank him."

That was silly hyperbole, I thought, but watching Congress spend, I see that I was naive and Williams was right.

When the Democrats held power, I confronted Sen. Robert Byrd about wasting our money on "Robert Byrd Highway"-type projects in West Virginia. His answer was as arrogant as he was: "I would think that the national media could rise above the temptation of being clever, decrepitarian critics who twaddlize, just as what you're doing right here."

"Twaddlizing?" I asked.

"Trivializing serious matters," he explained.

I persisted, "Is there no limit? Are you not at all embarrassed about how much you got?" Byrd glared at me in silence, and finally demanded, angrily, "Are you embarrassed when you think you're working for the good of the country? Does that embarrass you?"

The Republicans promised to change the culture. Democrats sold panic. "Don't vote for them! They're going to shrink government and take away your favorite programs!" They needn't have worried. The Republicans got elected, but if the Democrats' goal was to expand the government, they were the real winners.

Once Republicans were in power, they started spending money even faster than the Democrats did.

Big spender Ted Stevens responded to Coburn's good suggestion to kill a "Bridge to Nowhere" with a tantrum on the Senate floor: He threatened to resign and "be taken out of here on a stretcher."

Good! Sen. Stevens, please go. I'll even help carry the stretcher.

Unfortunately, Congress has an unwritten code: "Don't threaten the other congressmen's loot." The Senate reprimanded Coburn by voting 82 to 15 to save the Bridge to Nowhere.

The Ketchikan, Alaska, bridge is particularly egregious because it's a bridge to a nearly uninhabited island. Yet it will be monstrous -- higher than the Brooklyn Bridge and almost as long as the Golden Gate. Even some in Ketchikan laugh about it. One told us, "Short view is, I don't see a need for it. The long view ... I still don't see a need for it."

Last week, Alaska's other senator, Lisa Murkowski, said it would be "offensive" not to spend your money on her bridge. When she first became a senator, I asked her if Republicans believed in smaller government. She was unusually candid: "We want smaller government. But, boy, I sure want more highways and more stuff, whatever the stuff is."

I'll say. Alaska's pork projects spanned 67 pages. They get much more than other states. "Oh, you need to come up," she said. "You would realize it's not pork. It's all necessity ... People look at Alaska and say, 'Well, gee, they're getting all this money.' But we still have communities that are not tied in to sewer and water. There are certain basic things that you've got to have."

But my children shouldn't have to pay for them. If people want to live in remote areas of Alaska, why can't they pay for their own sewers and water, through state or local taxes, or better yet, through private businesses? Why should all Americans pay to run sewer lines through the vast, frozen spaces of Alaska? Because Alaska has no money?

Don't believe it. Alaska has so much money, it has no state income tax or sales tax. Instead, it gives its citizens money from something called the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Stevens, Murkowski and Don Young, who once told critics of the Bridge to Nowhere that they could "kiss his ear," are not unique. Republican politicians talk about limited government, but the longer they are in power, the more they vote to spend.

Spending your money, they want "more stuff."

[pageonetoo]

It appears that there is no land route to the entire peninsula, the only way to get there is by ferry.

Where I come from, we call those islands...

Seriously, though, I can see no justification for this extraordinary expense. A new road off the PENINSULA to a new airport could probably be built cheaper. It is just another transfer of wealth...

[rollo tomasi]

Then let the local or State Government pick up the tap.

Does not pass the General Welfare smell test if you ask me.

[rollo tomasi]

tap=tab.

[Osage Orange]

Reagan did the same thing. He ran the defecit up, won the cold war with it and then the Democrats had to raise taxes to pay it off.

LOL!!

The Dems never paid anything off...

That got a chuckle out of me...

[lapsi]

Ratified in 1913, Amendment XVII to our constitution provides for popular election of senators. Prior to that, senators were elected by the legislatures of the states. Ever since senators became subject to the popular vote, things have gone downhill.

YES! This is where we lost the Republic. Along with the XVI Amendment to the constitution, The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes.... Repeal of these two amendments would go a long way toward restoring the republic

TG

[MarkL]

I miss the days of firing squads and keel hauling.

Or even the stocks, with a few baskets of rotting fruit.

Mark

[ImaTexan]

ping

[Osage Orange]

The bridge in Alaska will enable development.

Okay...I'll bite. Please enlighten me as to what type of development...? Is there a community plan? Has a make-use/feasibility...risk/reward study been done?

Can you direct me to any of this info?

I'm serious....I'd like to see it.

[You Dirty Rats]

Ted Stevens' childish tantrum on the Senate floor was an embarrassment to Republicans.

It was an embarassment to the Senate and the spend, spend, spend culture in Washington. At least Coburn and a few others bravely put this amendment up. Stevens's reaction tells everyone exactly how ridiculous the overspending is -- he couldn't stand on logic and reason, could he?

[narses]

Morality in government ping.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

He did not have line idem veto.

Neither does Bush.

[SC Swamp Fox]

there is no land route to the entire peninsula,
What I meant when I wrote that was that there are no roads through the mountains in the upper portion of the peninsula. On closer inspection, what I thought was a peninsula actually is another island.

It is just another transfer of wealth...
Agreed. If it's important, let the State and local governments build it and pay for it.

[hinckley buzzard]

Why would Alaska want the dough spent on a bridge, which they can't eat, which can't care for their illnesses, which won't educate them?

Large construction contractors whose most notable achievement lately has been the construction of large campaign donations?

[Sam Cree]

I like Stossel. Since he understands freedom more than most, it's an anomaly that he appears on national TV.

[cgbg]

None of your four proposals would solve the spending problem if the spending is for pork.

The problem is that the few people who benefit from port are affected greatly in a positive way while the many whose taxes are increased a little bit on each piece of pork don't notice the incremental affect.

The Constitution was designed to protect us from this with the tenth amendment.

It is the Supreme Court, particularly when they started claiming the Interstate Commerce clause applies to anything done anywhere, that has allowed Congress to spend like drunken sailors.

My suggestion: give money to folks like the Cato Institute that will shine a bright light on the most egregious cases. However, if the economy does not grow faster than the politicians spend our grandchildren will be poorer than our children and our children poorer than us.

[strongbow]

" I don't know of any towns in AK that don't have enough space..."

I live in AK and I have the exact water and sewerage system you displayed. Only thing is you didn't show the well being at least 100 feet from the septic system. Funny thing is even though the Bourough does not provide my water and sewerage I still have to pay them about $400/month for their valuable services. I also don't get police protection or garbage collection for that. I kind of like having a well, I will always have water in a catastophy. BTW the cost of my well and septic was aroung 12K and is more now due to costs of steel.

[metalurgist]

Wow. A whole 15 votes to kill a totally-useless bridge

Well, it's a start. 36 more like them and we'll have a majority. I hope you notice that all 45 crats voted against Coburn's amendment.

What's your solution? Start a brand new party in all 50 states and try to build name recognition? Good luck. Maybe you'll be where the Libertarian party is in 50 years.

[OldFriend]

See post #52

[cgbg]

I would like to revise and extend my remarks. :-)

There is one lesser known government program that has exposed this issue perfectly.

It is called the Section 811 program. It provides funding to build housing for poor disabled people and subsidizes their rents. I believe it was created during the Bush Sr. administration.

W put zero dollars in the 2006 budget--he wanted to eliminate the program.

Both the Republican House and Senate have put all the money back into the budget, thumbing their noses at the White House.

Why?

Because they are evil people who love spending?

No.

The answer lies in the socialist's brilliant design of this program.

Funds are allocated by state, and each Congresscritter gets to announce these grants in their local area.

The beneficiaries are construction contractors, subcontractors, architects, lawyers, surveyors, etc.

However, the biggest beneficiaries often are very wealthy people who have disabled offspring.

Often these disabled young adults have to live with their parents because they have minimal income. They are difficult to control and (whether the parents will admit it or not) significantly reduce the quality of life in the family household.

Wealthy parents of disabled young adults have formed powerful lobbying groups and they contribute heavily to both parties.

They represent a very small part of an area's population but on this one issue they are determined, mobilized, active and won't accept "no" for an answer. Many know their Congressman or Senator personally from years of lobbying on this issue. They can (and have in the past) sent disabled people in wheelchairs to testify before Congress how this program made their lives worthwhile, etc.

The parents, meanwhile, have a great deal and they have no intention of letting taxpayers off the hook.

Multiply this one program ten thousand times and you can see why domestic spending will not be controlled by either party.

[SC Swamp Fox]

I assume you've never flown into, or out of, Charleston, WV...

I haven't flown into that particular airport, but I have flown in to others in the area. I think this particular region of Alaska makes VW look down-right flat.

For reference, the airport runway is about a mile long.