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Congressional Ear Marks

I heard an interesting thing on NPR this morning that I just wanted to share. It matters to me because one of the senators mentioned in the reporting was Barbara Mikulski, one of the senators from Maryland.

The discussion was about the stimulus bill and all of the pork barrelling in it. John McCain tried to raise concern about it in the senate but he was in a tiny minority who was concerned about it. There is a small group who are in fact outspoken about how important it is to pork barrel. One of that group is Sen. Mikulski. They played a quote from her to the effect that it right for the Senate to do this and that they ought to. They played a quote from John McCain listing some of the pork barrelled congressional ear marks (which by the way Congress is talking about giving Obama the right to do without congressional approval). One of the ear marks was simply called "Project for a Sustainable Las Vegas" Another was for termite research in New Orleans, Louisiana. The list was quite extensive.

Knowing this will definitely shape the way I vote the next time Mikulski comes up for reelection--knowing her role in this stimulus bill. I know that stimulus for our economy is important, but does termite research and a project for a sustainable Las Vegas really stimulate our economy?

Just a little food for thought.

Comments

Kim said…
I thought this particular bill was a spending bill,not specifically a stimulus bill. It isn't really written to stimulate the economy. Even some more conservative Congressional Democrats are voicing concern about this bill and urging the President to veto it. Don't hold your breath!;)
March 5, 2009 at 4:26 PM
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