Pennsylvania is a study in contrasts. The state boasts some of the most scenic highways and byways in the nation yet the roads are punctured with countless potholes. At one end of the state there is Pittsburgh, with a winning football tradition that includes five Super Bowl titles, while at the other end is Philadelphia, which has a football team with a monkey the size of King Kong on its back. The latest shenanigans in Harrisburg, the state capital, show that even a state budget can epitomize the best and worst of Pennsylvania.
Taxpayers 1, Rep. Obey 0
When House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) announced his plans to wait until closed-door conference committee meetings between the House and Senate to insert earmarks into spending bills, he declared, “I don’t give a damn if people criticize me or not.”
‘F’ is for Farm Subsidy
In anticipation in the next few weeks of markup of Title I farm subsidy programs in the House Agriculture Committee, CAGW released Making the Grade: CAGW’s Report Card on Farm Bill “Reform” Proposals.
Murtha Intel Earmark Dispute
Representative John ‘Jack’ Murtha (D-Pa.) has long been known inside the beltway for using threats, power plays, and backroom deals to control spending decisions. Now the American public has been treated to a view of the congressman’s strong-arm tactics; this time for throwing a temper tantrum and threatening his colleagues over a challenge to a $23 million pet project.
Michigan’s Bold iPod Plan
Michigan’s budget deficit recently surpassed the $1 billion dollar mark. With tax revenues being steady, the only conceivable reason for the budget deficit is out-of-control spending. On April 5, Michigan House Democrats issued an education plan that would purchase an MP3 Player or iPod for every Michigan public school child.
Real ID Nightmare
George Orwell’s 1984 provided a chilling look into a future of a Big Brother government obsessed with control and surveillance of the populace. Even though he brilliantly chronicled the trials and tribulations of Winston Smith, Orwell left out one aspect of such an overbearing security state – the financial costs. The Real ID Act and Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) may be modern day manifestations of Orwell’s nightmare, except that these nonfictional laws include a price tag.
Rep. Boyda Imprisons Taxpayer Money for Museum
Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kansas) deserves to “do some time” for her theft from the taxpayers of $100,000 for an egregious earmark she added to the 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act. The Kansas Regional Prisons Museum is set to receive the money to establish a site dedicated to the state’s historical and infamous penitentiaries and prisoners.
Budget Showdown in Georgia
Unless they get their act together, House Republicans in Georgia could lose their power just as fast as they acquired it. After 130 years of Democratic dominance in the state legislature, a Republican majority was elected in 2006, but the members have not followed through on campaign promises.
Solar Wall Symbolizes Failed Energy Policies
Congress and President Bush may revive a plan to build a giant solar panel system on the headquarters of the Department of Energy (DoE). Intended to symbolize the government’s commitment to clean energy, the so-called “sun wall” instead shines a light on the government’s commitment to wasting tax dollars.
Deval Patrick’s Pork-Barrel Politics
When Governor Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) campaigned for the office, he pledged to change Beacon Hill’s “politics as usual.” Unfortunately for the taxpayers of Massachusetts, his three month term has been anything but.