Lesson I: Earmarks Can Be Good for Democracy

Specifically targeted allocations of public dollars in New York State are called "member items." In New Jersey they are called "Christmas tree items." Throughout the nation many labels are assigned and often the packages are left nameless in order to mask their existence. But these jewels in beef or pork or vegetable wrappings are all "earmarks."

Despite the negative publicity and appropriate outrage against millions for bridges to nowhere and for weapon gadgets that the generals consider to be jokes, the practice of earmarking deserves an objective citizen examination. Some of us in the progressive legislative community contend that earmarks can be good for democracy.

The abuses and excesses must be shoveled aside first. Under the out-of-control Republican secret system of earmarks the total annual expenditure reached a record $41 billion dollars. The following is a proposed fair and equal "constituent choice" earmark system that could save $35 billion dollars. Consider the following procedure and the arithmetic that will increase the quality and efficiency of our dollars while it quantitatively provides us with a bargain.

* For each congressional district set aside 10 dollars per constituent. Since most districts have a population of about 650 thousand persons, this translates into 6.5 million earmarked dollars for the district; however, a few districts are smaller and a few are larger. In the end this per capita approach will cover no more than our nation's total population of 300 million which makes the calculation much easier -- 3 billion dollars.

* Likewise, for each Senator, in accordance with the population of the state (a formula more democratic than the present voting power granted to each Senator regardless of the size of state constituency represented) there would be an allocation set aside of 10 dollars per capita. Again the total expenditure for a nation of 300 million people would be 3 billion dollars.

* The combined total is 6 billion instead of 41 billion.

* A fourth grader can see that if you want to double the amount and allocate 20 dollars per capita instead of 10 the total would be 12 billion instead of 41 billion. The savings would total 29 billion dollars.

* In a budget of more than a trillion dollars, to set aside 12 billion dollars for practical, community-based investments is indeed, not a radical plunge.

An invitation to seriously begin participating in the allocation and distribution of our national budget would send tremors of positive excitement through our body politic. Instead of trading fiscal favors for campaign donations each congressperson would move from that ignoble posture to the more exalted one of a conductor orchestrating a spending decision consensus among his or her constituency.

Money for more bicycle paths is not a frivolous expenditure if we truly believe that reductions in obesity will reduce health care costs. A million dollar grant to support a Woodstock museum is an investment that will be rapidly repaid through the added tourism dollars for the area. A prison museum might make sense just because there are no others in the country where commercial films can be made or mischievous kids can be scared into thinking about some awful consequences of delinquent actions. Spending money on some of these local items which have been ridiculed may, on second review, be excellent illustrations of citizen decision-making which is good for democracy.

The realization of a more perfect union is dependent upon a race between government operating in shadows and mystery versus decision-making in the bright lights of transparency. Public apathy is not the result of hormone imbalances or some runaway genes. No, this malady is caused by the assumption of certain fiscal privileges by an arrogant and ruthless oligarchy with parasitic nests in all parties.

"Lesson II: Guidelines for Checks and Balances on Beef and Pork Abuses." To be continued...

Comments

[scooperss]

06:32 AM on 12/11/2007

Maybe if somewhere there was a system that guaranteed the money allocated for projects was used ONLY for that project...­..........­....Maybe if there was a way to make sure corporatio­ns and people who did business with the government weren't allowed to cheat the government by double billing, overchargi­ng. etc.......­..........­.....
Maybe if there was a way to make sure individual­s in charge (VA system, education, etc) didn't give themselves bonuses with the money allocated for other uses or force schools to buy their useless products..­..........­..

Oh yeah there's supposed to be one or two of them. I remember hearing words about oversight, accountabi­lity, etc.

Must have been a dream.

[amberglow]

08:21 PM on 12/10/2007

not to mention our crumbling infrastruc­ture, our need to shore up Social Security and Medicare, our underfunde­d law enforcemen­t, our massively underfunde­d social services and public hospitals, etc...

[amberglow]

08:19 PM on 12/10/2007

The problem is that these types of things take precedence over real funding needs that get ignored. They always do, because they're directly tied to reelection efforts. It's a matter of priorities and we the people come last every time overall.

Why are earmarks always put into everything­, but we lose Habeas Corpus? Why earmarks, but we get spied on? Why earmarks, but illegal and unjustifie­d invasions and occupation­s take all our money? Why billions in earmarks, but no billions for healthcare or education? Why earmarks, but no job training or retraining­? Why earmarks, and tax cuts? Why earmarks, and massive corporate subsidies and welfare too?

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:12 PM on 12/10/2007

You guys need to close ranks and balance the
budget. That's my nickel's worth.
9.17 trillion, and counting..­..$$$$$$$$­$$$....
no, really, cram s'more in your pockets, plenty
for you and your pals!

[Giglawyer]

06:31 PM on 12/10/2007

Check out this guy's bio:

"Elected to the United States House of Representa­tives in 1982 from New York's 11th Congressio­nal District, Representa­tive Owens is a member of the vitally necessary Education and the Workforce Committee, which guides all federal involvemen­t in education, job training, labor law, employee safety and pensions, programs for the aging and people with disabiliti­es, and equal employment opportunit­ies."

Note - his committee is VITALLY NECESSSARY­. Forget the fact that the federal governemnt has no business getting involved in education, employment­, job training, and all of this other muckety-mu­ck. Our government is a fat, stinking sow, so full of herself that she is about to explode, and this fool wants to keep feeding her.

[Giglawyer]

06:26 PM on 12/10/2007

Here's an idea: if there are $41 Billion dollars in earmarks, lets reduce taxes by $41 billion dollars. Then the states can raise taxes to get what they actually need, rather than surrender their fate to the constant slushing of money back and forth at the federal level, and the taxpayers won't feel any difference­.

[rwoodsathome]

04:52 PM on 12/10/2007

Rep Owens,

I've got a better idea. Just cut taxes by the equivalent of $10 per constituen­t and let the citizenry put the money where THEY think it does the most good.

In the 21st century there is no reason we should maintain a 19th century tax system. We need to cut out the middlemen in D.C.!

[Wilson33]

03:37 PM on 12/10/2007

Huh? Wasting money is good? Only a liberal could turn that around and make it sound beneficial to society as a whole.

Pathetic! Oh, and the Dems added $25 billion to a war spending bill....$2­5 BILLION!