Why, Those Sneaky Little Devils....

[pencilitin]

Lettermarking, which takes place outside the Congressional appropriations process, is one of the many ways that legislators who support a ban on earmarks try to direct money back home.

In phonemarking, a lawmaker calls an agency to request financing for a project. More indirectly, members of Congress make use of what are known as soft earmarks, which involve making suggestions about where money should be directed, instead of explicitly instructing agencies to finance a project. Members also push for increases in financing of certain accounts in a federal agency’s budget and then forcefully request that the agency spend the money on the members’ pet project.

Because all these methods sidestep the regular legislative process, the number of times they are used and the money involved are even harder to track than with regular earmarks.

Suddenly I'm reminded of that line from Jurassic Park: "Life...will find a way."

 

[Avatar4321]

did you think they wouldnt try something like this? Seriously? This is why we need to be on them constantly.

 

[NYcarbineer]

If you take into account that - from the voters' perspective - one of the primary functions of their representatives is to go to Washington to get their money back,

then earmarks make perfect sense and reflect perfectly an important function of representative government.

Hmmmmm.....so why is the Tea Party against this process, again?

Probably because like most people they think earmarks are ADDED spending, as opposed to directing money already spent.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Mark Kirk was recently elected, after running on the GOP ticket, yes? What does that tell you?

Not everyone on the GOP ticket fits into the stances and positions of conservatives, VA

But the GOP, by simple definition is supposed to be the conservative party, yes?

That is clearly not the case.

Had you said that the common knowledge is that the GOP is the more conservative of the two parties....that would be closer to the truth.