BarbaraD wrote on Oct 6th, 2008 at 9:46am:My question to Sen. McCain would be -- if you're such a Mavrick, WHY did you vote for a bill with 150 Billion in PORK in it. Why didn't you raise holy hell about the pork in it and vote AGAINST it? This bill just added to bigger govt. and hurt the little people that you're saying you're going to help. It's exactly what you've been campaigning against for the past year or so.
And Sen. Obama why didn't you do the same? It's a BAD bill. Why didn't you come up with a Better Idea for a bailout? What's this going to do for ME?
The hell with name calling - let's get back down to basics.
Hugs BD
PORK - EARMARKS, call it what you want. The reason many really good bills are voted against is because of the PORK add ons. Example, let's say there is a really good, needed bill guaranteeing that all children get health care. Who would vote against something like that??? Well, now let's take that really good bill, and have Senator Joe Blow tack on his little million or two to grow a Marigold garden in his state capita. Then Senator Jane Dumwit tacks on her few million for research into why frogs croak in her state. And on and on.
At this time, with all the PORK added to a really good and needed bill, all congress has to look at the entire bill and think to themselves "well, if I vote for it I'm a hero because children's health care is necessary. But, if I vote against it because of all the crap that has been added that adds additional tax to the American Public, I will be thought of as someone who either doesn't care about childrens health care, or someone who doesn't care about adding more tax to the American public".
So before you castigate those in congress who vote NO on a really necessary bill, check what PORK was added to that bill.
I don't know if it requires an amendment to the constitution or not, but, in my humble taxpayer opinion.....
If there is a bill on the table that has to be debated and voted on.....
that bill is the ONLY thing to be voted on - up or down. NO PORK. NO EARMARKS.
If some Senator or congressman has a special little "something" he or she wants my tax dollars to pay for - present a bill for it - all by itself, and let both house and senate vote yea or nay. It must stand on it's own.
Here was my thought just last night on this subject. Let's pull up every bill in 2008 that house and senate voted on and read it from top to bottom. Make a list of each piece of PORK added to that bill and how much that PORK cost the American taxpayer. Then, divide the total amount of PORK on the bill by the number of taxpayers. Total up for the entire year. When we all file our tax returns, deduce our fair share of the PORK spending. If the IRS howls and tries to come after us, tell them to kiss our butts.
Sandy
The question