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Stimulus Package Pork Spending
By: Ben | 01 March 2009 |

http://www.8000credit.org/150/stimulus-package-pork-spending/

President Obama vowed to be anti – earmarks during his election campaigns. However, all of that changed in Washington on Wednesday when the omnibus spending bill of $410 billion was passed by the House. Surprisingly, it has been stocked with 9000 pet projects recommended by both the Democrats and the Republicans together.

The bill was passed with a majority of 245 to 178 votes, which is a surprising achievement for Obama administration as it came right after one of the biggest spending bills in the history of the US – the $787 stimulus bill. The stimulus bill is boasted of as being ‘free’ from any earmarks whatsoever.

(My comment) The tricky little devils saved most of the pork for another bill, lol.

President Barack Obama is known for his crusading efforts in the anti-earmarks arena. Critics rushed to point out the President’s hypocritical standards, when the earmark bearing the President’s name appeared in the list. Later his name was taken off the earmark, as white house spokesperson Tommy Vietor pointed out that the president’s request was not an earmark, it was for a broader educational program.

Pork Spending in $787 bn Economic Stimulus Package

However, this doesn’t alter the fact that several other educational projects were assembled on to the original request for funding, for instance, a few tribal educational projects, which later became an earmark This has given the Republicans a Golden opportunity to voice out against the wasteful policies and hypocritical standards of the Democrats. The Republicans are not completely wrong in criticizing the bill.

Examples of Pork Barrel Projects in the Stimulus Bill

For instance, there is a $200,000 allocated to the task of tattoo removal as Representative Howard Berman of California wanted. Not to forget the stimulus bill pork spending - almost $2 million for swine odor and manure management for Tom Harkin because it is highly urgent to treat the stink of pigs and their manure.

A watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense found out around 8500 passed projects in the bill whose cost is around $7.7 billion, which is 3.4% more than last year. The Arizona Republican representative, Jeff Flake, was disappointed in the Congress to pass so many pet projects, especially, when there is an ongoing investigation between campaign contributions and earmarks, in the Justice Department.

Unfortunately, the House killed his proposal of an ethics committee, for investigating such links, by a vote of 226 to 182. Flake finds it devastating that the Republicans cannot any longer distinguish themselves from the Democrats. He felt helpless for his colleagues, when the Democrats emerged victorious with this bill by including 40% of the earmarks, recommended by the Republicans.

Moreover, Flake hinted at the connections revolving around a lobby firm and many of the approved earmarks. PMA group – a lobby firm, presently under investigation, has battened nearly dozen earmarks and has already been imploded a week ago.

In the worst economic turmoil of the nation, Fiscal conservatives cannot but help get frustrated when taxes are going to be charged at inflated rates and American people are being robbed of their hard earned money. Republicans are sure to lose some more votes, if they continue being thickheaded and blend in with the wasteful policies of their Democrat counterparts.