After yesterday’s Senate vote against an earmark ban, we again made the case that the damage earmarks do to our nation’s deficits go far beyond the nominal amounts spent on the earmarks themselves. The problem is that the votes earmarks secure from the sponsoring legislators then allow for ever higher levels of spending on other federal programs. Now, just one day after eight Republican Senators voted to protect earmark spending, CQ confirms our fears: New Hope for a Spending Package. The 15-day stopgap bill, or CR, buys Democrats the maximum …
Republican Sens. Bob Bennett (UT), Thad Cochran (MS), Susan Collins (ME), Jim Inhofe (OK), Dick Lugar (IN), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Richard Shelby (AL), and George Voinovich (OH) all just voted against an amendment in the Senate that would have banned Congressional earmarks. This is terrible public policy for their states, for their constituents, and for our country. Harvard research shows that states that experience an increase in earmark spending suffer from decreases in corporate capital expenditures and employment. Earmarking also robs money from local government transportation priorities to pay for …
With a looming state budget deficit of nearly $13 million, many Illinois residents are wondering if their state has its priorities in order. Last night, ABC7 Chicago’s Chuck Goudie revealed $67 million in recent state payments (PDF) for a variety of pet projects. While the state wrestles with the ramifications of such a huge budget shortfall, many wonder why payments continue for the sort of spending exposed in Goudie’s report. Among the expenses: Wilmette received $130,000 to build this bike path that was just one block long. Evanston got a check …
What happens when a state is lucky enough to have one of their Senators ascend to one of the three most powerful committee chairmanships? According to a new study by three Harvard Business School the average state then experiences a 40 to 50 percent increase in earmark spending (the figure is a smaller 20% for powerful House committees). So this new government spending is then a boon to the state right? The public spending stimulates economic growth right? Wrong. Turns out, increased federal spending is connected with a decrease in …
After enacting 93,000 earmarks at a cost of $200 billion over the past decade, lawmakers are finally taking the first steps to rein them in. First, House Democrats hinted they may announce a moratorium on earmarks to for-profit companies (while retaining them for non-profit organizations and state and local governments). Then, not be outdone, the House Republican conference today announced that they will not seek any earmarks in this year’s budget. This is a strong positive development. Earmarks distribute government grants by politics rather than by merit. Instead of submitting …
According to Roll Call, during a Democrat strategy session last week Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) broached the idea of suspending earmarks during the 2010 appropriations process. And even though the reasons cited were mostly political – this fiscal restraint would come as welcome relief to the average everyday American. Earmarks have long been considered an emblem of Washington, DC corruption, waste and abuse. Earmark supporters will make such arguments as “the total amount of spending on earmarks is minimal,” or “why should we let bureaucrats spend federal dollars, when we …
$1,100 for Hawaiian party props and luaus? $78,066 to promote quail? $6,500 for a 4,000-gallon live bass fish tank? $10,000 for a Batman party? $353,165 to fund car racing?
Congratulations, Illinoisans, you’re funding all this and more with your hard-earned taxpayer dollars, courtesy of your state government in Springfield.
America’s biggest spenders have chosen a wonderful Christmas gift for themselves: More of our money. Last week, deficit spending reached a new extreme. This week, Congress gave our federal government an 8% pay (spending) raise. Next week, they plan to borrow almost $2-trillion more to keep their spending spree alive. No payments until after Christmas, of course—and the bills are sent to the next generation. President Barack Obama led the way in his speech that endorsed “spend[ing] our way out of this recession.” Sadly, Congress and the Obama Administration are …
Even before Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) passed away last week, Congress approved a $5.8 million “planning and design” earmark for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate, which would include creating a full-size replica of the Senate chamber. It would be built at the University of Massachusetts, adjacent to the JFK Presidential Library. This summer, Kennedy’s colleague, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., added another $12.6 million earmark (still pending in Congress) to help build the memorial. Honoring the late Senator is understandable, but there are limits on what’s a proper …
A sign of the apocalypse or Washington business as usual? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvzNj0Vobss[/youtube]
