Posted on 03/11/2009 6:56:34 PM PDT by pissant
Ron Paul, the Texas congressman who is the darling of the Libertarian Right, has more earmarks in the pork-laden $410-billion spending bill than any other Republican.
That's not according to the MSM, or the liberal blogosphere. That's what Fox News is reporting.
In an interview Tuesday night with Fox News' Neil Cavuto, Paul not only defended his own earmarks, he argued that every penny in the federal budget should be earmarked, to improve transparency.
Paul, a fiscal watchdog who said he voted against the bill because he believes federal spending is out of control, acknowledged that $73 million in the bill passed by his colleagues "might be" going to his district on Texas' Gulf Coast for things like the intra-coastal waterway, the Texas City channel and Wallisville Lake. But he was fine with that, noting that he always votes for tax credits, not matter how "silly," to return money to the constituents who sent their tax dollars to Washington.
The principle of the earmark is our responsibility. We're supposed to — it's like a — a tax credit. And I vote for all tax credits, no matter how silly they might seem. If I can give you any of you of your money back, I vote for it. So, if I can give my district any money back, I encourage that. But, because the budget is out of control, I haven't voted for an appropriation in years — if ever. ...
I don't think the federal government should be doing it. But, if they're going to allot the money, I have a responsibility to represent my people. If they say, hey, look, put in a highway for the district, I put it in. I put in all their requests, because I'm their representative.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
I like Ron Paul, but that’s a hyper technicality.
pingzers
“Mr. Constitution”
Ron Paul is a phony baloney tin-foiling wearing freak.
Looks like Rabscuttle's boy not only is a moron on foreign policy but a hypocrite on spending as well.
And it must be "constitutional", right?
I’m in the middle of the road on the earmarks thing.
Earmarks are a symptom of a greater problem. Sometimes things that need getting done can’t get the money because the opposition doesn’t want to hear about it. On the other hand, we shouldn’t have to pay to study the homosexual mating habits of the east texas dung beetle.
Too much raiding and skimming going on in DC across the board.
I call him Rhu Paul. >;0)
Why shouldn’t anyone ask for the money the federal government takes in taxes back? Whose money is it? The federal government’s or the citizens?
You people pretend that once the money is looted from the taxpayer’s pocket, they’d better never ask for it to be returned. Is that right? that means you think that all money belongs to the federal government, or in the case of modern history, the federal reserve, to be spent propping up the failed globalist policies of the last 30 years. You think that Obama needs taxpayer money to ‘save the world’ economic system which is tantamount to treason against the Constitution.
All congressmen should ask for the district money back. Let citizens decide where it’s spent, not the federal reserve, the G20, the numerous ‘councils’ and ‘czars’ the white house has created.
Interesting how some are just getting a clue that L Ron Paul’s middle name is Oink and a RINO delux.
I wish hr would make the final move over to his Third Party loons.
His type, along with the “Pures” and Far Left are
doing their best to divide the Republicans.
They are Obama’s best friend.
do I really need a /sarc?
He’s a nutty little elf as well as a hypocrite. He knows a particular bill will pass and votes against it, symbolically, but is always there to wallow in the booty.
Oh my gosh, I understand now, it is so simple.. the federal government is the redistributer in chief.. oh wow.. collectivism is good.. I never saw it that way.. take from the taxpayers and give it to pet projects.. thanks to you and Dr. Paul, I finally see the perfection in collectivism....
/sarc
Thus, the hypocrite tag...
So you're a RINO too?
Sheesh...
Let the lunacy begin again...
Ron Paul is the libertarian evil clone of Dennis Kucinich.
Both are crazy as Charles Manson without the weapons.
This federal earmarking of local pet projects is such total crap.
The ONLY things the central government should be doing are major things of NATIONAL significance, that have greater than local impact, and that cannot be done at the state level. Things like the national defense and major items of national infrastructure like the interstate highway system.
If the people of Texas don’t care enough about some local waterfront development project to pay for it themselves, why the holy hell should I pay for it out of my paycheck from Massachusetts?
Likewise, I think it’s preposterous for people in Texas to pay for the Boston Big Dig mess.
Perhaps if we weren’t filtering all our money through a massive central bureaucracy only have a small percentage returned to us, we could actually afford to pay for the local work we want directly, and far more efficiently.
This federal government is totally out of control. Its budget needs to be slashed by 75% across the board, and taxes reduced accordingly.
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.