Cut The Pork for Katrina

Many are suggesting that instead of increasing the federal deficit or raising taxes to fund the reconstruction of the infrastructure damaged by Katrina, we should instead be eliminating Congressional pork to offset the cost.  From the Wall Street Journal:

The idea of a pork-for-reconstruction swap had already been denounced as "moronic" by a spokesman for Don Young of Alaska, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and proud father of the now-infamous $223 million "bridge to nowhere" near Ketchikan.

But thankfully, a grassroots Internet campaign and a handful of House GOP conservatives have refused to give up on the idea that spending cuts should be found to defray the estimated $200 billion federal price tag for hurricane relief. In the Senate, John McCain is proposing a similar pork-for-Katrina swap. (Cuts for Katrina).

There's plenty of pork and unnecessary programs to be found -- in the transportation bill, in the defense bills, in all the other programs in D.C.  Perhaps we could even have the Congress work 1/2 time.  That's got to save us something...

For more infomation check out the Porkbusters website: www.truthlaidbear.com/porkbusters.php

Comments

[Reach Upward]

Congress working part-time is not a bad idea. That would limit the amount of mischief that could be done and would cause it to focus on essential issues. Similarly, that is why it continues to be a good idea to limit the time our legislature is in session. States with full-time legislatures develop more inisidious freedom-reducing laws and taxes than states with part-time legislatures.

[docdaddy]

I hope some of the American people are paying attention to this. Isn't it fascinating that our government, elected to protect the rights of the common man, now flatly admit that the many of the bills they've passed are filled with pork", and can be cut, to divert the money to Katrina victims.

It's always good to know that our friviolous leaders can finally admit to wasting American tax dollars. These programs should have no pork. In a time when paying for the war creates significant financial burden, these programs should have never been passed with one red cent over what was truly necessary. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling, and I personally will hold everyone in congress accoutable. And through some of the most popular blog sites, I will get this information out there to the general public.

The government didn't mind spending our tax dollars on pork until Katrina suddenly led to the realization that
1. Making tax cuts for the rich permanent...
2. Ending the estate tax...
3. Losing kick-back money on pet projects...
...may possibly be off the table.

HOW PAINFULLY SELFISH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN. WHEN '06 MID-TERM ELECTIONS COME AROUND, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE MANY PEOPLE HONING-UP THEIR GOLF GAME BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE ALL THE FREE TIME IN THE WORLD.

[Elisabeth Luntz]

Cut the corporate pork, don't steal the pork from the table of labor.
Bush undermines prevailing wage policy but disaster opportunists Halliburton reep no-bid contracts and huge profits. In fact, since 2003, Dick Cheney's halliburton stocks have increased 3 thousand percent. Three thousand percent.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/8/22374/66753

[Elisabeth Luntz]

Halliburton contracts for Katrina aid:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/092605Z.shtml

Army Corps of Engineer’s Bunny Greenhouse demoted for Blowing whistle on Halliburton’s no-bid contracts:

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/greenhouse830

Dick’s 3K % return on his Halliburton investment:

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Cheneys_stock_options_rose_3281_last_1011.html

[Elisabeth Luntz]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/11/15/halliburton_katrina/

Undocumented Katrina labor hired for KBR, a Halliburton subsidiary.

[Tyler]

At the risk of pouring gas on the fire:

Halliburton stock price, January 31, 2003: $17.89 per share

Halliburton stockprice, Dec. 7, 2003: $64.88 per share.

Change in value: 262%, not 3000%. A good couple of years to be holding Halliburton stock, in my opinion. Assuming you held on through the earlier slump.

From Yahoo! Finance. Halliburton stock symbol: HAL.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=HAL&t=5y

Tyler
American Gentlemen Helping Against Silly Treatise (AGHAST)