Congress Eats Pork As Main Street Tightens Belt

Cal Thomas | Syndicated Columnist | Published: Oct 02, 2008

Congress Eats Pork As Main Street Tightens Belt

 

October 3, 2008

Does anyone believe this economic crisis is a coincidence, coming just a little more than a month before the election?

How serious is Congress? So unserious that they never miss a chance to add on more pork. The Senate Wednesday night added around $100 billion in spending over and above the so-called emergency spending that is supposed to rescue the bad mortgages and various rip-offs of the taxpayers that enriched a few, some of whom are now advisers to the Obama campaign.

As noted in the Washington Examiner newspaper, the earmarks include special breaks for a grab box of items and industries ranging from auto racing tracks to film and television production and wool research. Also included are earmarks for “certain wooden arrow shafts. The Senate bill limits this particular favor only to arrows “designed for children” and measuring “5.16 inches or less in diameter.”

Another provision would give special tax breaks to litigants in the Exxon Valdez oil-spill case – people who already have been rewarded by the courts at a cost to taxpayers of $49 million.

Keep all this in mind and consider how serious our elected representatives are.


Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.

Congress Eats Pork As Main Street Tightens Belt