Posted by
42jeff on Monday, October 20, 2008 8:10:13 AM
I thought pork was supposed to be healthy? How is it then that with all the pork the American taxpayer has been forced to swallow for several years, our economy is as unhealthy as ever? Look at the Economy Rescue Bill that passed last week with the bloated "extras" included to "convince" some senators to give their support. I've been trying to figure it out, but how exactly does a Mental Health Initiative, subsidies to wooden arrow manufacturers and wool research have to do with bailing out failed banking institutions? How exactly do tax incentives to rum manufacturers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands fix the collapsing stock market?
I know these senators and representatives need to keep their posts somehow. Where else can you get $170,000 per year, an excellent health plan, and work nine months out of the year if you aren't a pro athlete? That doesn't include the perks. It seems that maybe saving the taxpayers - our country - several billion dollars a year would go further toward job security-and maybe even help out national security.
I realize a lot of things are accomplished by cramming that junk onto the tail ends of these bills. I tried my hardest to read the whole bailout bill and wound up getting so frustrated, I had to quit and get some Motrin. President Clinton removed several items he saw as "excessive for the short time he had the Line Item Veto. How much money could be saved every year if our legislators didn't waste time and effort shoving all kinds of extras onto everything that's passed? How much more informed would the average American be if everything that Congress voted on was made public rather than as paragraph b of subsection 14, line 19, item number 7b of Section III?
Alas, until our legislature decides to treat their jobs with the respect and responsibility their positions deserve, we will have to pay millions of dollars every time a bill is signed to get enough "Yea"s. Either way, we should be glad they're at least making a decision and doing more than just being "Present."