My girlfriend recently asked me what earmarks were, in relation to pork barrelling. I was a little surprized that she didn't know. And I figured, "If someone as smart as her doesn't know, then...how many others don't?
What Is the Pork Barrel?
Wikipedia gets a lil smart with us, saying that it's a barrel you keep pork in. Luckily for those clowns, they go on to say it's more often a political metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for projects specifically designed to benefit a constituency or campaign contributor.
I like the Wikipedia article...it does a good job explaining it, and detailing it, and putting the term into context (really, not all appropriations are pork. Money spent on the I-35 bridge in the Twin Cities would have been money well spent, but that damned bridge in Alaska is totally pork).
Basically, it's when the Congressman from Columbus makes sure money in a Federal transportation bill gets funnelled to the Columbus Dept of Public Works, so they can replace all their signs. He does this so when election time comes around, he can say "Look, I got you money for new highway signs! I'm not useless!"
(I'm not implying that the Congressman from Columbus is useless, or that he does these things, or that he's even a man, necessarily. I know my end of Columbus has a Congressman, and he's been pretty responsible--if amazingly conservative).
What is an earmark?
Wikipedia is a lil complicated on this one, starting with the public finance definition. Long story short? It's when money is singled out for a project, or a specific exemption is made from a tax or fee. Earmarking is how pork happens, for the most part.
There's two types of earmarks: the hard type that's written into the legislation, and the soft type included in the reports of Congressional committees. Soft ones aren't binding, but in that "one hand washes the other" sort of way, they're acted on as if they were. Hard ones become law.
That's the basic pork barrel process! Not all earmarks are pork, and neither are all appropriations (remember, I-35 bridge needed money to be replaced or renovated = good earmark, useless $230 million bridge to replace a functioning ferry = pork).
The biggest issue is that earmarks are generally not handled out in the open. They don't get debated or defended...they just get passed. Anything you can't discuss on the floor of Congress probably doesn't need to have my money spent on it, is my opinion on pork.
...And Now for Some News...
Two-Prong Fed Move: Rate Cut & Bear Stearns Sale, from NPR
Terminator Has a Heart: California Lifers Getting Paroled, from NPR
Kosovo Violence Forces UN Out, from BBC
China Issues Deadline, Holds Protestors in Tibet, from BBC
Southside of Columbus to Get new Medicla Center, from WCBE
Cincinnati Snow-Removal Budget in the Red, from WVXU (All I gotta say is, Duh)
Showing posts with label Kosovo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kosovo. Show all posts
Monday
Electronic Voting
So Cuyahoga County has an idea where it will have everyone fill out a ballot card, collect them at all precincts, then send them into a central location for scanning and counting. That's all a result of the issues they've had in the past w/ the on-site machines being FUBARed.
The ACLU is against this idea basically because it doesn't allow voters a chance to correct their ballots if they mess up. They suggest scanning them immediately at the voting site. That's how I've voted in the past...fill out the paper ballot w/ ink, then feed it into the scanning machine. That provides the paper trail AND the ease of electronic votes.
I think the ACLU has a good point. I'd hate to find out (or not, rather would be the case) that I'd messed up my ink job and lost my vote. Revolutions have started over things like that. The best solution is probably for Cuyahoga to get on the ball like the rest of the state, give up their touch screens, and scan the ballots at the voting stations.
Some people just don't like the idea at all...they don't trust the machines, the software, any of it. They think the old punch cards work better. Personally, I think the electronic ones DO pose a slightly higher risk for fraud (look at "Man of the Year") but then again, paper ballots let George Bush steal the election.
It's like anything else electronic, in my opinion. People assume the worst, that never happens.
...And Now for Some News...
Wisconsin Next Battle Ground for Hillary and Barack, from NPR
911 turned 40 Sunday, from NPR
Pakistan Parliamentary Elections Today, from BBC
EU to Meet in Response to Kosovo Independence, from BBC
Ohio a Do-or-Die State for Clinton, from Ohio NPR via WCBE
Cincinnati Fire Dept Accredited to Train Paramedics In-House, from WVXU
The ACLU is against this idea basically because it doesn't allow voters a chance to correct their ballots if they mess up. They suggest scanning them immediately at the voting site. That's how I've voted in the past...fill out the paper ballot w/ ink, then feed it into the scanning machine. That provides the paper trail AND the ease of electronic votes.
I think the ACLU has a good point. I'd hate to find out (or not, rather would be the case) that I'd messed up my ink job and lost my vote. Revolutions have started over things like that. The best solution is probably for Cuyahoga to get on the ball like the rest of the state, give up their touch screens, and scan the ballots at the voting stations.
Some people just don't like the idea at all...they don't trust the machines, the software, any of it. They think the old punch cards work better. Personally, I think the electronic ones DO pose a slightly higher risk for fraud (look at "Man of the Year") but then again, paper ballots let George Bush steal the election.
It's like anything else electronic, in my opinion. People assume the worst, that never happens.
...And Now for Some News...
Wisconsin Next Battle Ground for Hillary and Barack, from NPR
911 turned 40 Sunday, from NPR
Pakistan Parliamentary Elections Today, from BBC
EU to Meet in Response to Kosovo Independence, from BBC
Ohio a Do-or-Die State for Clinton, from Ohio NPR via WCBE
Cincinnati Fire Dept Accredited to Train Paramedics In-House, from WVXU
Monday Monday Monday
So...it's a holiday week...so I plan to do a brief lil "Thankful" theme this week.
So...I'm thankful for...hrm...having real checks and balances in my government. As much as President Bush insists that he knows whats best for us, and that his administration is the only thing that will keep us safe from the terrorists, you don't see him contemplating a run for the Senate in order to hold onto power. No matter how much Bush wants to ignore the Constitutional rights of our citizens in the name of security and tap all their communications because there may be probable cause, you don't seem him simply suspending it and firing the Supreme Court.
I'm thankful the democratic process in the United States has enough juice left to keep the government from completely becoming one man's puppet.
And now for some news...
Musharraf Cleared for New Term, from NPR (With a stacked court, who's surprized?)
Bangladesh Cyclone Toll Hits 3100, from AP via NPR.org
Homeland Security Adviser Resigns, from AP via NPR.org
Fountain Square Busy, but Exact Number is Unknown, from WVXU
Millions Cut from Budget in City Manager's Recommendation, from WVXU
Israel to Release 450 Prisoners, from BBC
Kosovo Warned by EU on Independence, from BBC
So...I'm thankful for...hrm...having real checks and balances in my government. As much as President Bush insists that he knows whats best for us, and that his administration is the only thing that will keep us safe from the terrorists, you don't see him contemplating a run for the Senate in order to hold onto power. No matter how much Bush wants to ignore the Constitutional rights of our citizens in the name of security and tap all their communications because there may be probable cause, you don't seem him simply suspending it and firing the Supreme Court.
I'm thankful the democratic process in the United States has enough juice left to keep the government from completely becoming one man's puppet.
And now for some news...
Musharraf Cleared for New Term, from NPR (With a stacked court, who's surprized?)
Bangladesh Cyclone Toll Hits 3100, from AP via NPR.org
Homeland Security Adviser Resigns, from AP via NPR.org
Fountain Square Busy, but Exact Number is Unknown, from WVXU
Millions Cut from Budget in City Manager's Recommendation, from WVXU
Israel to Release 450 Prisoners, from BBC
Kosovo Warned by EU on Independence, from BBC
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