Glenn Reynolds is touting a new campaign against federal pork. The US is undoubtedly spending an extraordinary amount of money in the War on Al Qaeda while simultaneously suffering from what is already one of the 10 worst natural disasters in American history. Opponents of George Bush lost no time, once Katrina hit, in linking the two events. There was certainty in their minds that the levees in New Orleans would have been rebuilt had the war not taken us into Iraq. Having scrutinized the plans by the Army Corps of Engineers, there was considerable doubt in mine. Now supporters of the war seem to be firing back by pointing out that there remains beaucoup money to be saved elsewhere.
Which there no doubt is. The list of identified pork projects garnered here provides some sobering reading.
My heart is with Professor Reynolds: a highway bill should fund highways rather than museums, drug programs, bus terminals, etc. My head doubts I will live to see such a day. Porkopolis has long hence outgrown all boundaries of self-restraint. So I wonder, is there any conceivable way short of the collapse of the Republic that this voracious beast can be tamed? Does anyone seriously believe that hope can once again triumph over pork?
3 comments:
Short of a major overhaul of the tax code, I cannot see any improvement on the horizon. The bulk of the voting public pays little in taxes, perhaps just enough to cover their share of basic services. As long as pork is effectively free to most people, why should they oppose it?
Some of the sillier items may get stripped out of the budget, but by definition they are too small to have much impact.
Having said that, I applaud the effort being made and I hope it makes Congress think twice before signing off on every idiot scheme supposedly relating to Katrina relief.
To some extent, Congress is in the position of doctors ordering tests on a patient. It's always a safer course to go overboard than to take a measured approach.
Well, I'm pessimistic. The way it seems to me is that the public has given up the fight. No one cares anymore. For the Democrats, if it's not a way to bash Bush, it's of no consequence. Everything, but everything, including reality itself, must be spun to that goal. For the Republicans, once bitten twice shy. They do not ever ever again want to be tarred with the "shutting down the government" brush. That's an extremely difficult position for the alleged small-government party to find itself in.
But the main problem comes from the American people. As long as we expect pork, as long as we expect that's how the game is played, then that's how it will be played.
And, David, please keep in mind the possibility that the Democrats will shut the Internet down on the grounds that it is regulated political speech.
Porkopolis is ahead of the curve on this. If you want to get down to the little curly tail of the Congressional oinkers, he's got the details.
A shame that a valuable resource wasn't discovered by the top rated bloggers but Google is such a difficult tool to use.
Post a Comment