Earlier this week, the Senate approved new disclosure rules for the insertion of earmarks in legislation for "pet projects."
As reported in an AP article on Yahoo:
The Senate voted Tuesday to shine more light on thousands of expensive pet projects buried in legislation every year after the new Democratic majority bowed to a successful push by Republicans to make new disclosure rules even tougher than originally planned.
The vote was 98-0 to require senators to reveal the water projects, hiking trails, defense contracts or tax breaks for specific industries they insert in legislation. That unanimity came five days after Democrat leaders, holding a slim majority, were thwarted by a GOP-led rebellion, joined by many Democrats, in advancing a more comprehensive “earmark” reform.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who last week led opposition to the Republican approach, lauded the final product, saying it “combined the best ideas from both sides of the aisle.”
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., the author of the amendment to the ethics bill, said the ability of the two sides to come together on the issue was “a good signal for the new Congress.”
It seems to me that this is steering the country in the right direction. I have read some criticism that these reforms merely expose the earmarks, but do nothing to stop them. That may be true, but with a ship of state as large as ours I am impressed by even small corrections. Now at least the blogoshere and other observers can participate in monitoring who benefits from public funds and expose abuses. Perhaps with enough bi-partisan cooperation like this we may gain enough momentum to make progress on other challenging issues.
Paul Silver is a semi-retired small business owner and investor who is interested in supporting centrist candidates and policies. He blogs occasionally at The Moderate Voice where his posts are mostly about people and policies that he believes are part of the solution rather the problem.
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pgduffyjr
The reform legislation is a small first step. We should compliment and encourage our representatives and senators because they learn slowly and react best to positive feedback. We can expect reform to inch along only at a glacial pace.
A next step: Ask that all special appropriations (earmarks) be made proportional to the populations being served, rather than according to the power held by the congressman or senator.
Next: Give these proportional amounts back to the states treasuries.
Next: Eliminate all the earmarks, reducing the federal budget.
Meanwhile, be vigilant and speak out when the earmarks are made public (for 48 hours before the vote).
Why not have an up or down vote on each earmark, if you really want to cut pork that is the only way to go. If a majority of congress thinks their earmarks are in the national interest they would pass each earmark and vote down ones that do not meet that criteria. Anything less is a sham and they know it. They're hoping an apathetic public will buy their so called reform and they are probably right. As I understand the proposed law they do not have to vote on each one indpendently they merely have to attach their name to it. If I am wrong please correct me, but that is the way I read the bill.
An Independent
We love you guys up on the stage! But you gotta come up with some new lines! We all have computers at home you know! - Earn Snyder
Modern Progressive Independent
IM: earnsnyder@yahoo.com
For more policies visit www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
pgduffyjr
A similar idea is to give each congressperson a modest earmark budget based on population. They can then allocate these funds within certain guidelines agreed on by congress.
It is difficult to take someones power away. Perhaps it is an interim step to adjust the reach of that power.
The money! What about all the time they waste moving around like chickens with their heads cut off! Sit still will yah! - Earn Snyder
Modern Progressive Independent
IM: earnsnyder@yahoo.com
For more policies visit www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
What a wonderful idea Mr. Silver. I gues the people in Washington are just too smart to see a simple solution.Hilda
The can just stay home and stream! -
Earn Snyder
Modern Progressive Independent
IM: earnsnyder@yahoo.com
For more policies visit www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
My understanding is that the Senate Earmark rule now requires that the earmark and its sponsor be made public at least 48 hours before a vote.
This gives watchdog groups time to alert the media if there is something questionable about the earmark.
I think this is progress in making legislation more transparent.
If we all worked together to help elect more centrist/moderate candidates (less beholden to partisan donors) we might be able to make still more improvements in the future.
I understand where you are coming from, but you give these crooks far more credit than I do, an up or down vote was the way to go and they know it. I can just see them now sitting around in their lounges laughing their heads off how they really pulled another one over on Mr Apathetic Citizen. We'll see how it works, but I wouldn't wager too much on pork being stopped. Why couldn't Pelosi give Bob Schieffer a straight answer when he asked her why an up or down vote couldn't be taken along with the earmark identification?
An Independent
Nope I have a better idea. Use computers properly and put the institutional bureaucracy in a CPU with no monitor or keyboard only a flashing modem light in a dark room in the Whitehouse basement. Send all the Congress members home to save trillions and stream baby stream using secure streaming video operations... - Earn Snyder
Modern Progressive Independent
IM: earnsnyder@yahoo.com
For more policies visit www.appyp.com/fix_main.html