Posted on 10/18/2007 5:00:27 AM PDT by Harrius Magnus
Flower-Power Pork
By Robert D. Novak Thursday, October 18, 2007; A25
Will the Democratic-controlled Senate approve a $1 million earmark to celebrate Woodstock-era baby boomers, carved out of a bill funding health care and education? It will, because it is sponsored by New York's influential Democratic senators, Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer. It will, because they are promoting the pet project of a big-time Democratic campaign contributor.
Nevertheless, as the Senate began consideration of the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education appropriations bill yesterday, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma proposed an amendment to eliminate the earmark. The $1 million would go to the performing arts center of the Bethel Museum in Liberty, N.Y., at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival. Coburn argues that a "taxpayer-funded Woodstock flashback" would cut into the government's Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program grants.
That fits a new approach in Coburn's crusade against earmarks. He has told his colleagues that their addiction to pork wastes money that otherwise would build bridges, regulate mine safety and litigate civil rights cases. All to no avail so far. The lawmakers still embrace pork and reject Coburn by the same big margins by which they passed the infamous Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere" in the previous Congress.
Even by congressional standards of shamelessness, the Bethel earmark is extraordinary. "What Cooperstown is to baseball," says the museum's Web site, quoting from a New York Times story, "Bethel could be to the baby boom." Earlier this year, Bethel advertised a "Hippiefest" as a "return to the flower-powered days of the 1960s."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Flower Power?
Oh yeah, I remember that? That’s when big chunks of my generation decided to hide from the travails of a dangerous world, and immerse itself in dope, so-called free love and a general descent into a cultural, know-nothing Hell hole.
The result?
Just look around. Huge divorce rate, millions of lives that think God is just a story from a book that is full of lies(the Bible), and now middle schools handing out condoms to 11 year olds.
Yeah, that’s worth celebrating.
Fools.
That portion of your generation (baby-boomers) is the most selfish, self-loving and obnoxious group of citizens to ever inhabit this world. They have single-handedly destroyed what it took western civilizations thousands of years to create in a matter of 30-40 years.
Incidentally, the first baby boomer applied for social security earlier this week. The raping of the US Treasury begins.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.