From AP -WASHINGTON - After promising unprecedented openness regarding Congress' pork barrel practices, House Democrats are moving in the opposite direction as they draw up spending bills for the upcoming budget year.
Democrats are sidestepping rules approved their first day in power in January to clearly identify "earmarks"
So much for change in Washington. Of course anyone with half a brain never believed them in the first place.
Ok, I've always been curious - what does "pork barrel" mean? (And while we're at it, what the hell are "pork Bellys" & "pork futures"? And why is our govt & the stock market so interested in pork?
It's all about the Bacon! Ahhhh Bacon!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_belly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel
Pork barrel spending the opposite of the NIMBY attitude. We want spending to come our way for our projects but we complain when it goes to another area because it's wasteful.
The solution, in my opinion, is line item veto powers on appropriation bills.
Last year there was $29 billion spent on these projects. If that money were instead spent on rebate checks the average family would receive a little about $260.
Or if that money were spent on something like healthcare, you could go a long way to covering every uninsured person in the country. Obama currently estimates his universal health plan costing between $50 and $65 billion I believe.