This was a very simple proposal that would have redirected $454 million earmarked for Don Young's Vanity Bridge in Alaska to rebuilding efforts in Louisiana.
It's been argued (and rightfully so) that voting in favor of this amendment would potentially threaten each respective states' pork budgets, and consequently, the majority of Senators didn't have the balls to support it.
I don't know why I thought for a minute there, that this was something Republicans and Democrats alike could get behind. You know, a fundamentally simple way for our elected representatives to say "Screw unnecessary spending. Let's send this money where it can really do some good." Just imagine the brownie points they could've won with their constituents. Prove to the skeptical electorate that politicians aren't ALWAYS greedy fuckers without the compassion god gave a mosquito.
But noooooo. They couldn't bring themselves to do it. Just couldn't be bothered. 'Cause, you know, Utah might need a coastal development project, or Kansas might to want to replace their aging system of ski lifts or something.
The shockingly small list of Senators that voted in support are below.
George Allen (R-VA)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Jim Talent (R-MO)
If you live in these states, drop them a line and say thank you. Let them know you were paying attention and are glad to see they still have some integrity.
Then, shave $20 out of your next paycheck and make a Red Cross donation in Don Young's name. Let him, and all his other Hill buddies know that if they don't give a shit, you do.
Thanks to dKos and The Club for Growth for spreading the word.
Coburn Amendment Bridge to Nowhere Twin Spans Bridge Katrina Louisiana hurricane relief Slidell
4 comments:
Good thought, Renee. I just used "Red Cross" as synonymous with "charity", when I should've been more specific. Habitat for Humanity would be among my choices, as would Noah's Wish...
ONE fucking Democrat??????
Please tell me they were all trapped under a piano.
Or is there more to this bill than we think? Did Coburn bury something in there, something horrible? Like, feeding babies to Republican-owned animals?
Google freaks will have to do the leg work on this, as my attempts to find the entire text haven't helped. Instapundit has a little blub here but that's all I've been able to track down.
I expect the usual posturing bullshit about how it could set some kind of precedent threatening this funding or that project. I mean seriously, why do these bozos vote down perfectly sound bills if not out of self-interest? Fuckers.
I guess this is more of the same 'reluctance' to confront oink projects in general, and certainly it does not surprise me because what we need and what we spend couldn't be more disconected.
But the call for more accountability in spending is barely audible which surprises me given the fact that folks on both sides of the aisle can get behind some measure of fiscal responsibility. The left can do it in the name of better use of money for public good, the right certainly used to favor controlled spending and lower taxes... why don't others see that McCain and Feingold are particularly poised to gain from this thinking? Follow their examples, people. Wouldn't you think that Casey, for example, would use spending to generate valid criticisms in PA against Santorum? Lost opportunities, IMO.
I am so tired of asking why we don't hear more about the abused tax dollar at work- given that as an issue it is much less complicated than the values crap and speaks to many demographics. Senator Greenlily would make this the focus of everything out of her mouth- linking every single thing to their corruption.... the way they hammer home 'tax and spend Democrats" I would hammer away at "Cronies and phonies".
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