March 24, 2009
Earmarks Don't Add Up
Earmarks seem to be the hot topic this week, and as a fiscal conservative I am dismayed so many people deliberately distort the earmarking process and grandstand to make political points. It is an easy thing to do with earmarks. It takes a little more time and patience to grasp the reality of what earmarks really are.
To be sure, if earmarks were the driving force behind explosive government spending as some have been led to believe, that would be a good reason for all the fuss. The misconception seems to be that members of Congress put together a bunch of requests for project funding, add them all together and come up with a budget. The truth is, it is not done that way. The total level of spending is determined by the Congressional leadership and the appropriators before any Member has a chance to offer any amendments. Members’ requests are simply recommendations to allocate parts of that spending for certain items in that members’ district or state. If funds are not designated, they revert to non-designated spending controlled by bureaucrats in the executive branch. In other words, when a designation request makes it into the budget, it subtracts funds out of what is available to the executive branch and bureaucrats in various departments, and targets it for projects that the people and their representatives request in their districts. If a congressman does not submit funding requests for his district the money is simply spent elsewhere. To eliminate all earmarks would be to further consolidate power in the already dominant executive branch and not save a penny.
Furthermore, designating how money is spent provides a level of transparency and accountability over taxpayer dollars that we don’t have with general funds. I argue that all spending should be decided by Congress so that we at least know where the money goes. This has been a major problem with TARP funding. The public and Congress are now trying to find out where all that money went.
The real issue is that the overall budget is too big, by far, which is why I always vote against it. But attacking the 1 percent that was earmarked solves nothing. The whole issue is a distraction from the real problems we face, which are that the Federal Government will absorb over 1/3 of our country’s GDP this year and taxpayers are forced to fork over more than half their income to fund government at all levels. On top of that, the national debt is $11 trillion, which is $36,000 per citizen. The recent increases in bailouts, government spending and money creation is going to hobble our economy for decades. We must curb the government’s appetite severely if this country is ever to thrive again. The noise over “earmarks” is a red herring and a distraction from the real issue of uncommitted spending.
It is time to attack the entirety of government spending. We especially need a full account of the activities of the Federal Reserve that spends and creates trillions of dollars with no meaningful oversight. This is a huge problem that needs immediate attention.
Written by Dr. Ron Paul
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Does Rush Really Lead The Republican Party?
Obama operatives have been having a field day recently trying to paint Rush as the leader of the Republican Party when nothing could be further from the truth. If Rush was the leader of the Republicans, I would have to quit listening to him. I want to listen to someone who believes what he says and says what he believes, whether I agree or not! I get that from Rush every time I tune in.
To lead the Republican Party of today, one must be willing to: Jettison any core values he might have; kick his long time friends under the bus when there is perceived political advantage to be gained; and forgo any thought of what is best for the country while devoting all his time and energy to buying votes and getting re-elected. Listen to Rush Limbaugh for a few weeks and you will realize that he could never do that. You can always count on Rush to say what he believes and let the chips fall where they may!
This begs the question: Who is leading the republican party? Answer: President Obama!
What! you say. Well think about it.....In less than two months as President, Mr. Obama has rammed through a $700 billion "porkulas" bill that rewards all of the special interests that got him elected, without a whimper from the republicans. He signed a $400 billion omnibus bill loaded to the gills with over 9000 earmarks that could only pass with help from republicans (by the way, nearly half of the pork went to republican pet projects). Next he plans to nationalize health care, empower unions by taking away employees rights to a secret ballot, nationalize the banks, and stifle free speech by re-instating the fairness doctrine, all in an effort to consolidate his power and the power of the central government. Can the elimination of term limits for the President be far behind?
Yet, where are the republicans that are supposed to believe in limited government, individual rights, and the power of the people to govern themselves and their finances without being dependent on the federal government for everything? When Mr. Obama spouts Marxist theory about redistribution of wealth (ie; from each according to his means, to each according to his needs), where are our "champions" of free enterprise? When he signs executive orders permitting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research where are our "protectors" of the right to life?
They are either cowering in the cloakrooms of Congress, afraid to speak out for fear of being called "racist" for daring to disagree with our first black president, or they are attending White House dinners hoping for a "photo op" with the "Messiah". Either way, I have to give President Obama credit. He is leading the republican party around by the nose right off a cliff and they are falling all over themselves trying to be the next one to say how much they want him to succeed.
Thank God for Rush Limbaugh! Of course he wants President Obama to fail! Anyone that cares about the future of our country as a free nation should want the same thing. If he succeeds, we will all wake up one day and wonder what happened to the country our fathers and forefathers fought and died to guarantee for us.
Well, I'm just an average joe and that is my opinion. We are all entitled to that and I hope that this post will spur some lively debate. All I ask is that we all treat each other with respect, and not resort to name calling. Let's debate the issues on this forum and try to learn from each other.
To lead the Republican Party of today, one must be willing to: Jettison any core values he might have; kick his long time friends under the bus when there is perceived political advantage to be gained; and forgo any thought of what is best for the country while devoting all his time and energy to buying votes and getting re-elected. Listen to Rush Limbaugh for a few weeks and you will realize that he could never do that. You can always count on Rush to say what he believes and let the chips fall where they may!
This begs the question: Who is leading the republican party? Answer: President Obama!
What! you say. Well think about it.....In less than two months as President, Mr. Obama has rammed through a $700 billion "porkulas" bill that rewards all of the special interests that got him elected, without a whimper from the republicans. He signed a $400 billion omnibus bill loaded to the gills with over 9000 earmarks that could only pass with help from republicans (by the way, nearly half of the pork went to republican pet projects). Next he plans to nationalize health care, empower unions by taking away employees rights to a secret ballot, nationalize the banks, and stifle free speech by re-instating the fairness doctrine, all in an effort to consolidate his power and the power of the central government. Can the elimination of term limits for the President be far behind?
Yet, where are the republicans that are supposed to believe in limited government, individual rights, and the power of the people to govern themselves and their finances without being dependent on the federal government for everything? When Mr. Obama spouts Marxist theory about redistribution of wealth (ie; from each according to his means, to each according to his needs), where are our "champions" of free enterprise? When he signs executive orders permitting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research where are our "protectors" of the right to life?
They are either cowering in the cloakrooms of Congress, afraid to speak out for fear of being called "racist" for daring to disagree with our first black president, or they are attending White House dinners hoping for a "photo op" with the "Messiah". Either way, I have to give President Obama credit. He is leading the republican party around by the nose right off a cliff and they are falling all over themselves trying to be the next one to say how much they want him to succeed.
Thank God for Rush Limbaugh! Of course he wants President Obama to fail! Anyone that cares about the future of our country as a free nation should want the same thing. If he succeeds, we will all wake up one day and wonder what happened to the country our fathers and forefathers fought and died to guarantee for us.
Well, I'm just an average joe and that is my opinion. We are all entitled to that and I hope that this post will spur some lively debate. All I ask is that we all treat each other with respect, and not resort to name calling. Let's debate the issues on this forum and try to learn from each other.
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