What makes Earmarks Despicable

What makes earmarks so insidious is that they are placed into funding legislation nearly covertly and most of the time at the last minute.  Often there are quid pro quo deals between legislators - I'll sponsor yours if you sponsor mine.  Certainly some to the expenditures are worthwhile and beneficial.  So why so much secrecy and deceit?  This is not that hard.  These "items" are not last minute thoughts.  So......let's just make some rules

1. Specific funding items need to be posted publically for at least two week OR it does not get any consideration in the legislation.
2. Each specific funding item posting needs to address:
1. Description
2. Cost
3. Type of Funding: one time, ongoing, etc.
4. Benefit to Local Community
5. Benefit to USA
3. One week before the Funding vote, sponsors are called before Public Hearing of the Earmark Committee, to respond to one question, of their choosing, from each Committee member.
4. The Earmark Committee votes whether or not to include the item in the Legislation.

As I said, its not that hard.  Let's make federal funding more transparent.  Write your Representatives/Senators in Washington D.C. and tell them how YOU want your money to be spent.  Don't leave this exclusively to the President, Congress, lobbyists, Dems and GOP.

 

P.S.  Most Americans think that the President's Budget is what determines what gets spent.  Actually the President's Budget is the administration's opinion on what money to appropriate OUR money.  The US Constitution states that the Congress is to appropriate funding, which the Executive Branch (the President) is to manage/expend those funds appropriated.