Earmarks banned in senate

[DiamondDave]

And still it's not small potatoes

Comparatively, it is. And I'm pretty sure that was his point, that there are much larger areas where more meaningful cuts can be made.

and still, no call for eliminating spending on entitlements to the entitlement junkies

This shows that nothing you say on the issue has any important meaning. You obviously have some kind of deep seeded hatred and bias on the matter. You probably know very little about how entitlements are spent, and no meaningful understanding on their effects on the economy as a whole.

And it is still not small potatoes.... and easier pickings

You also assume wrong.... still no business having government acting as charity with contributors footing the bill for non contributors... the unequal treatment by government which the extreme lefties like wrongwinger love

 

[LibocalypseNow]

It's a nice start but it doesn't even add up to a drop in the bucket. But Kudos to them for at least heading in the right direction.

 

[signelect]

Hey right winger, leave the SS and medicare alone, I paid that money into the system under penalty of law if I did not pay. It is MY money and I want it back. defense spending is a great place to start, who get a contract with a 10% guaranteed profit above cost. I lived in CT for a while and watched contractors there spend money, they didn't care because the more the cost the cost the more the profit.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

A whole two years, lol?! The incompetence continues. What a carnival.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

its stand alone bills now folks.

You either support something or you dont.

The Rs are going to have a huge problem with this one.

So, the R's, who called for a ban on earmarks, are going to have a huge problem with the ban. Yet Harry Reid, who said that told Obama to back off on earmarks, and dismissed his veto threat as an applause line, is going to be perfectly happy with it.

Harry Reid To Obama: “Back Off” On Earmarks

BTW, Senators can still stuff earmarks into a bill through the amendment process in other committees and on the floor. Do you really think that Reid is gong to let a committee chairman stop him from spending money when he was not willing to let the president do so?

Just saying.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I'd hardly say it was small potatoes

And you still shy away from things such as entitlement handouts when mentioning cuts... laughable, but typical

Here ya go.......go at it

Earmarks are 1-2% of the total budget

And still it's not small potatoes... and still, no call for eliminating spending on entitlements to the entitlement junkies

The man mentioned Social Security and Medicare, that is hardly ignoring entitlements.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

So much of our defense psending and such is not earmarks?
Ie if a certain weapon is made in a certain state.
I recall something about buying military cargo planes the military did not even want.
Alabama or Georgia seemed to have been involved as I recall.

Yep. And continuing the F-22 because it keeps jobs in a state, or buying a new engine the military does not want, or need. Those all count as earmarks in my book, and they amount to more than 1 or 2% of the budget.

 

[jillian]

boy... what's ron paul going to do without all his earmarks?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

So much of our defense psending and such is not earmarks?
Ie if a certain weapon is made in a certain state.
I recall something about buying military cargo planes the military did not even want.
Alabama or Georgia seemed to have been involved as I recall.

Thats where the real earmarks are along with military bases. Smart Defense Contractors spread the money around so that a little is spent in each state

I watched bodies fall when people opted for death over pain from the heat of fire.
I dug in the pit looking for survivors for 3 days finding nothing but rebar and dust.
I saw first hand how vulnerable even the strongest nation can be in this world.

I turn to my government to protect my family as I can not do it alone. I need very little else from my government.

I do not have a problem with defense spending at all.

Do you have a problem with Congress adding pork to the defense budget so that they can keep bases open in their home state? Defense is one of the few things the government actually needs to do, but that does not mean the defense budget in its entirety is untouchable.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

I thought only mean ole Republicans were against Earmarks. The President seems to be supporting the Republicans on this one. You hear that? That's the sound of millions of Hopey Changey sheep heads exploding. lol! They're not sure which Talking Points they should be regurgitating. This has to be a very confusing & distressing time for the Hopey Changey Sheep. Which way do they go?

 

[syrenn]

It wont last long. I Its all lip service to sound good. Both sides will cry "oh no, not MY earmarks!"

 

[rightwinger]

They will just change the name from earmarks to payback and it will be business as usual

 

[Avatar4321]

its stand alone bills now folks.

You either support something or you dont.

The Rs are going to have a huge problem with this one.

I personally like the idea.

Of course you do. You're a conservative.

TM just hasnt realized that without Earmarks, there is no way most Democrat legislation can pass.

Does anyone honestly think we would have Obamcare if there werent the massive earmark to certain politicians?

 

[gekaap]

Actually, I believe your response shows how little you know or understand as it pertains to conservatism.

It is not rocket science that taking money from those that make money (taxes) and giving it to those that make less money will help the economy.

However, it does not mean that it is what is in the best interest of the country long term.

Conservatives believe the less you giove someone, the more drive they will have to get it themselves.

And the more drive each indvidual has, the more drive we have as a country.

We know the benefits of entitlements.

We just beleive there is a better way.

I know plenty about conservatism. But I also see that he is drawing conclusions emotively, based on negative presumptions and biases. He calls anyone who receives an entitlement a "junkie" yet I doubt he actually knows any of those people personally. He's made up your mind about their character without knowing anything about them, or knowing exactly how much of what money is spent toward exactly what end. I, on the other hand, do know some such people, like my younger brother. He's disabled and in a wheel chair. He has a genetic condition similar to muscular dystrophy. Because he is disabled he collects Social Security and disability. It's not because he is lazy, or a "junkie," or because he lacks drive in any way. It's because he was born physically unable to work. There are alot of people who are disabled, who collect entitlements, and cannot work. There are, of course, some people who do their damnest to abuse the system, but there are plenty of well to do people who also "abuse" the system to get away with getting tax breaks to reduce their tax liability to zero. There are always people out there, from ALL walks of life, who will try to do the wrong thing, and usually they will manage to find a way no matter how hard you make it for them because that's just how they are. Trying to blanket this one group of people is not much different than someone saying that all black people are criminals.

 

[gekaap]

You also assume wrong.... still no business having government acting as charity with contributors footing the bill for non contributors... the unequal treatment by government which the extreme lefties like wrongwinger love

In other words, you want the government to favor you, and then things would be fair.

 

[Avatar4321]

You also assume wrong.... still no business having government acting as charity with contributors footing the bill for non contributors... the unequal treatment by government which the extreme lefties like wrongwinger love

In other words, you want the government to favor you, and then things would be fair.

He didn't say anything of the sort.

 

[gekaap]

He didn't say anything of the sort.

Yes he did. He's complaining that entitlement programs are unequal treatment. Unequal against whom? The people who don't receive entitlements?

 

[Avatar4321]

He didn't say anything of the sort.

Yes he did. He's complaining that entitlement programs are unequal treatment. Unequal against whom? The people who don't receive entitlements?

They are unequal treatment.

But you claimed he stated that he wanted the government to favor him. That is incorrect.

If I understand him correctly, and he can correct me if I'm wrong, he wants the government to favor nobody.

 

[Republicrat]

Earmarks are 1-2% of the total budget

Well, you need to understand that it's not about total dollars. Earmarks are about influence, and this will severely curtail lobbyist influence.

 

[saveliberty]

Earmarks are 1-2% of the total budget

Well, you need to understand that it's not about total dollars. Earmarks are about influence, and this will severely curtail lobbyist influence.

No, its about the first dollar to the last. Please explain how money flowing into Congressperson's campaigns isn't a stronger form of influence. Perhaps you just misspoke.