Ron Paul's earmark requests for FY2009 TX14

Houston Chronicle ^

[magellan]

Small Government, Austrian School, Libertarian ping!

Or for those from Rio Linda: Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul!

[Gondring]

I love how he votes against it all, despite dutifully passing on the requests from constituents. Eat your heart out RINOs!

[mnehring]

His votes are symbolic.
Putting the pork in the bill in the first place is substance.

Symbolism
Substance

Your choice..

I’ve posted our other represenatives earmark requests at the same time, I’m sure you’ll want to go make some excuses for them as well..

[SlapHappyPappy]

If it is his “duty” to pass on requests from his constituents, then it is also his “duty” to make sure they pass as that too represents the will of his constituents.

In other words, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim to be against earmarks while taking direct action you know will create earmarks.

Plus, as already stated, he votes “no” knowing full well his district will get the money anyway, which makes it a charade of the highest caliber.

[mnehring]

He is a long time career establishment politician, what do you expect. He just knows how to play the game better than some in that he can have some conservatives bending over backwards to make excuses for him while he gives his contributors a little wink.

[ejonesie22]

So basically you finally admit RP is a shyster, not fully representing his constituents, as is his job under the Constitution he loves to pretend to be expert on, while gladly taking their money and support, as he will from anyone who can fog a mirror...

Well that's a little progress...

[ejonesie22]

He is a long time career establishment politician, what do you expect. He just knows how to play the game better than some in that he can have some conservatives libertarians bending over backwards to make excuses for him while he gives his contributors a little wink.

Sorry but just had to make a minor change. I would not refer to his backers as Conservatives.

Remember, while Reagan said libertarianism is the heart of Conservatism, there was a reason he and the rest of us are Conservatives, not libertarians.

Life goes past simple myopic views and selfish absolutes...

[Gondring]

Read up on the process and then get back to me. You have things mixed up.

[Gondring]

Putting the pork in the bill in the first place is substance.

This is not "pork in a bill"...there's no additional spending requested here.

I don't know whether you are ignorant of the process or if you are intentionally trying to distort the picture, but this is NOT any additional spending.

Whether or not these earmarks are made, the appropriation level is set...this is just Rep. Paul requesting his district's requests be reserved from the already appropriated funds, rather than allowing it to be spent willy-nilly by Congress.

Don't confuse this with earmarks added to other bills. There are different types of earmarks.

[mnehring]

OMG, I've heard that before, but it is just as funny every time.. Paul's earmarks are special, they are there but they don't increase the budget. I guess you've never heard of baseline budgeting or the congressional budget cycle. Future budgets are calculated using the previous year's budget as a baseline. Any unappropriated funds are generally not budgeted in. Earmarking continues the cycle of increased baselines.

But, what is funnier is the other excuse you make, he votes against it. IF Paul's earmarks are somehow ‘different’ as you claim, than other congressmen and they have the magical power not to increase the budget, why does he vote against them? He claims he is passing on the budget request from his district and he is elected to represent his district, so, if they don't increase the budget and he is just following his voter's will in requesting them and (the other excuse) bringing the money out of Washington and back to his district, they why not vote for it?

You have been drinking the koolaid way to long. The propaganda and spin is really starting to just be funny.

[mnehring]

Here is the process Congress uses that Gondring doesn't want you to read about.

http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_Baseline_Budgeting

You may also want to take a gander over at Citizens Against Government Waste’s Pork page, including the infamous Pig Book.

http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_budget

They sure don't consider Paul's pork ‘special’ and ‘not effecting the budget’. At that, he is listed as a porker along with all the others.

[mnehring]

By the way, if this is just returning money to his district and forwarding on his district's requests, they why does his pork requests include: • $26 million for Washington, D.C. "Reading is Fundamental" program • $10 million for Boston, Mass., "Reach Out and Read" national center

[jmc813]

Wow. This series of threads went over like a lead zeppelin. You need to post your threads during more active freeping hours of the day.

[mnehring]

Yep, posted all the reps in our district, only one other had any responses. I guess folks just don’t care about stopping pork any more.

[jmc813]

I guess folks just don’t care about stopping pork any more.

That'll at least be one consolation prize if McCain wins. He ain't too bad on that. I'll post a Paultard thread in about an hour when the West coasties start logging on. Betcha it gets lots of good activity. That's the secret of successful FR threads. Timing.

[ejonesie22]

One, it is not the Kool Aide, unless the wacky weed has a new slang term attached to it I am not familiar with...

Two, beyond the earmark bit I still am laughing about the whole “Ron Paul passes on the wishes of those in his district he was elected to serve and then votes against it so he can look good to the nut jobs who support him nationally” bit be perfectly fine.

What a servant of the people he is...

Damn, just damn...

[jmc813]

unless the wacky weed

1972 called. They want their drug slang back.

[ejonesie22]

Goes around comes around, I hear it’s back in fashion. I just hope bell bottoms and wide ties stay away.

[mysterio]

I was going to reply on this thread, but there's no reasoning with those who think paleoconservatives are worse than dems. And beleive me, there are some who hate Ron Paul as much as they hate the Clintons.

They'll deny it, but it's true.