America For Purchase

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According to Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel) the term pork barrel, while literally meaning a barrel in which pork is kept, is more commonly used as a political metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for projects that are intended primarily to benefit particular constituents or campaign contributors.  This usage originated in American English with reference to gifts of salt pork in a barrel by slave-owners to their slaves.

Pork barrel politics refers to government spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes.  The term originated in early American history, when slaves were sometimes given a barrel of salt pork as a reward, and had to compete among themselves to get their share of the handout.  Typically it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.  Public works projects and agricultural subsidies used to be the most common examples from years past but George W Bush has significantly changed that.  Pork barrel today can range from any pet project by Congress and most have become the favored spending habits of Republicans.  Most pork barrel spending is often allocated through last-miniute additions to appropriations bills, which has become the ‘norm’ in the last decade.  Remember Sen Ted Stephens and Sarah Palin from Alaska who spent millions of Americans tax dollars to ‘build a bridge to nowhere’!

Pork barrel projects or earmarks are added to the federal budget by members of the appropriation commitees of the United States Congress.  This allows delivery of federal funds to the local district or state of the appropriation committee member, often accommodating major campaign contributors.  To a certain extent a member of the House of Representatives (or Congress) is judged by the ability to deliver funds to their constitutents.  The Chairman and the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations are in a position to deliver significant benefits to their states. 

Citizens Against Government Waste (http://cagw.org) has done a host of research over the past several years, documenting pork barrel spending by Congress, allocated dollars and government sponsors.  I encourage every American to visit their website and see where your money is being allocated.

Below is a summary of Pork Barrel projects and the costs to taxpayers over the past 18 years!  It is easy to visualize how the government has substantially grown and how it does not matter whether it is a Democrat or Republican Administration or a Democrat or Republican Congress.  Both feed equally at the American tax payer trough; therefore the coined phrase “liberal Democrats” now includes “LIBERAL REPUBLICANS”.  That being said, Republicans have excessively fed in greater dollars and greater numbers during the Bush Administration than at any other time.  George W Bush’s increases are almost doubled those of Bill Clinton’s and his do not even include the dollars spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.   This is the party of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

U.S. GOVERNMENT – PORK BARREL SPENDING
Year	Administration	Number of Projects	Percent Increase	Billed to Taxpayers	Percent Increase
1991	George H Bush	546		$3.1 Billion
1992	George H Bush	892	63.36%	$2.6 Billion	16.12%
Total		1438		$5.7 Billion
1993	Bill Clinton	1,712	91.92%	$6.6 Billion	153.84%
1994	Bill Clinton	1,318	23.01%	$7.8 Billion	18.18%
1995	Bill Clinton	1,439	9.18%	$10 Billion	28.20%
1996	Bill Clinton	958	33.42%	$12.5 Billion	4.16%
1997	Bill Clinton	1,596	66.59%	$14.5 Billion	16.00%
1998	Bill Clinton	2,143	34.27%	$13.2 Billion	8.96%
1999	Bill Clinton	2,838	32.43%	$12 Billion	9.09%
2000	Bill Clinton	4,326	52.43%	$17.7 Billion	47.49%
Total		16,330		$94.3 Billion
2001	George W Bush	6,333	46.39%	$18.5 Billion	3.93%
2002	George W Bush	8,341	31.70%	$20.1 Billion	8.64%
2003	George W Bush	9,362	12.24%	$22.5 Billion	11.94%
2004	George W Bush	10,656	13.82%	$22.9 Billion	1.77%
2005	George W Bush	13,997	31.35%	$27.3 Billion	19.21%
2006	George W Bush	9,963	28.82%	$29 Billion	6.22%
2007	George W Bush	2,658	73.32%	$13.2 Billion	54.58%
2008	George W Bush	11,610	336.79%	$17.2 Billion	30.30%
Total		72,920		$170.7 Billion
Total All Projects		90,688	Total Cost	$270,7 Billion
* George W Bush spent 44.76% more than Bill Clinton- * George W Bush spending does not include costs for the Iraq War.

Who is to blame?  Unfortunately, the American public bears much of the responsibility in allowing their elected officials to drain the coffers of hard working U.S. Citizens.  The only way to bring spending under control is for Americans to take control.   What can we do?  Consistently write your Congressional Representative, speak out about their out of control spending of your money, speak out, make your ballot count by demanding politicians address reckless spending BEFORE you give them your vote.

There is no government agency overseeing this debacle – of course hot, politicians would prefer to hid this from the American Public.

It’s Your Money, use your voice!  Contact your Representative:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

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Filed under: U S Economy, U S Government