PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: The earmarks are starting to go online:
The House Appropriations Committee today took its first official steps to disclose pet projects in FY08 spending bills, revisiting the Interior-Environment and Financial Services measures to add the earmarks in advance of floor action next week. Now that Republicans got their wish, they are seeing the fruits of their efforts up close. Their own projects are being squeezed both by House Appropriations Chairman Obey’s decree of a 50 percent total reduction in earmarked projects as well as being on the receiving end of a 60-40 split between the majority and minority they have not experienced in a dozen years.
“There’s nothing magic about a 50 percent reduction,” Obey said.
“We’re simply trying to draw the line so that we have sufficient staff capacity to provide the review of these projects that is necessary to avoid embarrassment to the committee or the institution.”
Much more information at the link. Plus, the Republican Study Committee is now posting earmarks information online, too.
Max Sawicky thinks that the PorkBusters campaign is doomed: “You might as well take a match to an iceberg. Pork is here to stay. Try it with some black bean sauce.”
Well, it’s uphill. But we’ve at least got them acting ashamed, and we’re forcing some additional transparency into the system. it’s a start, anyway. I also think that Max underestimates the role of pork in fostering both actual bribery, and also the somewhat more subtle corruption that leads members of Congress to see the public fisc as their own trough, something that leads to the sort of entitlement mentality and pocket-stuffing behavior that has Congress getting a 14% confidence rating from the public. There are lots of costs to that, and the worst ones aren’t economic.
UPDATE: Related item here: “Third, and for me the biggest problem, is the corrupt atmosphere this breeds, and the utter domination of Congress it gives to the powerful members of the appropriations committees. Incumbent congressmen often win reelection based on “bringing home the bacon.” To do that, they need to play nice to members of the appropriators. Thus, on any given issue, they are very likely to be highly attuned to the desires of the appropriators. Voters have pretty short memories. Politicians tend to have long ones. Between campaign contributions from “leadership PACs” and control over the earmarks appropriations process, the Congressional leadership can rather easily reward compliant congressmen and punish those who refuse to toe the party line. Transparency should only be the first step.”
Indeed.