realizing what's in it.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/21/tax.provision/index.html

Bill also contains 11,500 pork barrel spending items. E-L-E-V-E-N T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D.

Wow. I hope one of them was to pay for my transmission.

What's your definition of pork barrel spending, what are some examples, and why are they bad?

Good question.
Here's some stuff for you.

http://www.taxpayer.net/TCS/PressReleases/2004/11-20Omnibus.htm
(taxpayer.net a GREAT website I might add)

OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL BREAKS THE BANK


Our analysis of the Omnibus spending bill found that the bill contains 11,772 earmarks at a cost of $15,780,533,623. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 202-546-8500 x 110. Here is a brief statement from Keith Ashdown, Vice President of Programs at Taxpayers for Common Sense:


"Here they go again. With the fat lady singing on the 108th Congress, lawmakers have just passed a massive spending bill that virtually no one has read, and no one knows much about. Despite this, hardly anyone seems to care. We heard a lot about how this bill is fiscally responsible. However, the facts speak for themselves. This bill is the fattest legislative hog that we have ever seen and despite record deficits, lawmakers are much more concerned with feathering the nests of their favorite parochial interests. If this bill is an indicator of what's to come, we will be swimming up a river of red ink for quite some time."

Below are 20 of the most egregious earmarks in the bill:

1. $25,000: Curriculum development for the study of mariachi music, Clark County School Distinct, NV, Labor-HHS.
2. $25,000: Banana Factory for an arts and technology after school program, Bethlehem, PA, Labor-HHS.
3. $45,000: A+ for Abstinence for abstinence education and related services, Waynesboro, PA, Labor-HHS.
4. $300,000: CyberSeniors, Inc. - Experience Senior Power Program, Detroit, MI, Labor-HHS.
5. $225,000: National Wild Turkey Federation, SC, Agriculture.
6. $250,000: Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN, VA/HUD.
7. $1,000,000: Missouri Pork Producers Federation: converting animal waste into energy, MO, VA/ HUD.
8. $75,000: Renovations of the Merry Go Round Playhouse, Auburn, NY, VA/HUD.
9. $100,000: Punxsutawney Weather Museum, Punxsutawney, PA, VA/HUD.
10. $306,000: Restroom repair at Porter Beach at Indian Dunes NL, IN, Interior.
11. $4,989,000: Stabilize bathhouses for adaptive reuse, Hot Springs, AR, Interior.
12. $800,000: Soybean Rust Research, Ames, IA, Interior.
13. $1,400,000: Laser lines of tug roads and lake Hood Seaplane base, Ted Stevens International Airport, AK, Transportation.
14. $1,593: Potato Storage, Madison, WI, Agriculture.
15. $250,000: Asparagus Technology and Production, WA, Agriculture.
16. $50,000: Feral Hogs, MO, Agriculture.
17. $150,000: Coca-Cola Space Science Center, Columbs, GA, VA/HUD
18. $150,000: Beaver management and damage. WI, Agriculture
19. $250,000: Sidewalks, street furniture, and facade improvements. Boca Raton, FL, VA/HUD
20. $200,000: American Cotton Museum. Greenville, TX, VA/HUD

Add up 11,000 of these and that's quite a chunk of money.
Straight out of our pockets.


"I'm very proud of the fact that we held the line and made Congress make choices and set priorities, because it follows our philosophy," Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said in House debate.
Absolutely hilarious statement, Tom.

Nice avatar. It's so...fitting.

The problem with omnibus spending bills, is that every senator and house rep has people that donate money to them. Omnibus spending bills are the politicians way of giving back to those that donate money to them. Yeah, most politicians are against a majority of the spending in this bill, but they'll never veto it because they are serving their constituents.

Wow, very nice. I don't expect the government to be 100% perfect, but damn, you think they could at least be a little more responsible with people's cash.

And every one of those examples is barely a drop of water in the ocean that is corporate welfare.

AS, It appears that you're worried that the federal government isn't taking in enough money. You're approaching this the wrong way.

Or Social Welfare

Or, to toe the line between, BOTH.

social welfare isn't nearly what ppl make it out to be.

If you make $8/hr with say 3 kids you only qualify for $150/month for food. If you get other beneifts they take around 40% of your child support check.

So to argue that we spend more on social welfare or they get a better deal than corporate welfare is highly laughable.

Plus you are comparing ppl who actually need help with multi million/billion $ companies who don't.

God Bless Our Republic!


seriously, can we get God to bless this republic, or what? Jesus Christ!

Oh please, don't think I'm sitting here validating corporate welfare.

All I am doing is saying that corporate welfare is a tiny fraction of what we spend on social welfare.

Who are you to judge what people really need anyway?

Social welfare programs tally waaaaaaaay beyond what we spend on the military. Now take those dollars, divide them up amongst the number of people in America who are truly needy. Then add into that the amount of money given to these people from charitable organizations, then find out what they make. Answer? A hell of a lot more than 8 dollars an hour.

What is someone doing with three kids if they're only making 8 bucks an hour anyhow? How the hell does someone end up in that situation?

Tell me, do you have to goal of trying to convince others that you are right in your beliefs and convictions, or do you just type whatever you feel at the moment? Because I could argue your case, even though I don't believe it, and manage to not make people think I'm completely insensitive to plight of others.

--PunkDavid

If you include Social Security as social welfare (which I'm assuming LittleWing is), then social welfare is the biggest thing the federal government spends money on. If you don't, then that dubious accolade would have to go to the military.

who am i to judge? maybe no one but it just doesn't seem fair to me to give tax breaks, incentives and other perks to muli million/billion $ companies, especially when they just keep laying ppl off and outsourcing their work at the same time. Does Pulsburhy really need our money to advertise in Europe? Do fortune 500 companies really need tax breaks when making record profits and keeping most of the money in the executive level?

I'm sure there's many, many ways one could end up 3 kids and making $8/hr. What if someone's husband died or something? Anyway it doesn't matter how they got to that point. I thought the right was all about 'each life is precious!!!' i guess that only applies while in the womb and when they become old enough to join the military.

So everyone who is in need is taken care of, is what you're saying?? hahahahahaha good one.

Also i'd like to see a link or something showing social welfare receives far more, and i'd like it to take into account tax breaks and other incentives, plz

Keep track of who is in office still for the next Congress and vote them out next time. This is incompetence beyond belief. Of course, this kind of egregious lack of bill reading was pointed out in Fahreinheit 9/11, but I guess simply because that film was anti-Bush no one would take it seriously until something like this happened.

I don't care Democrat, Republican, or whatnot. The people that vote these kinds of things should not be in power. Reckless. Reckless.

God bless,

Jared

This is a good reason to

1 not allow bills to come up during a holiday week.

2 ban congress from raising thier own pay

3 Term Limits

Term limits has nothing to do with this, and would solve nothing.

--PunkDavid