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Benjamin Franklin used to joke about how great it is to be a “rational” human being. Franklin observed that we have, unlike the animals, a remarkable ability to construct rational arguments (that would make the philosopher Socrates proud) and flowery language (that would make the poet Milton proud) to, in the end, justify our greedy desires. In that way, any potential feelings of guilt for acting selfishly get marooned on a barren, windswept island – out of sight and out of mind. When it comes to earmarks, too many members of the U.S. Congress – even self-proclaimed “fiscal conservatives” – have made this kind of selfish rationalization an art form (that would make Picasso proud).
About ten days ago, I brought up the problem of rampant earmarks
(9,000 in 2007) to one candidate running to replace the retiring
Congressman Doolittle. Unlike citizen statesmen like Senator Tom
Colburn and Representatives John Campbell and Jeff Flake, the candidate
refused to take a “no earmarks pledge.” He told me that earmarks are
justified because he knows the “needs of the district better than the
Bush Administration.”
Of course he does. But that is not the
point. He doesn’t understand the big picture and the consequences of
his individual actions. If elected, he will perpetuate the current
“hide the truth culture” and erode the strength of our representative
democracy and the ability to govern ourselves.
As we review the
fundamental purpose of why we have a collective body called the U.S.
Congress and why we cherish the groundbreaking idea of “federalism” (an
American invention), it is absurd to think and an affront to our
history that voters are being asked to elect 535 kings, each with their
own kingdom. Our 100 Senators and 435 U.S. Representatives are supposed
to pass laws and collectively appropriate money in public to advance
the national interest. All of the actions by our elected
representatives, including the expenditure of our hard-earned money,
should be taken in public and only after a thorough analysis of why the
expenditure is in the national interest. A legislature is supposed to
act as a collective body. Earmarks are not reviewed in public, yet an
appropriations bill for projects that have a national significance are
aired in public sessions with the opportunity for public scrutiny. In
contrast, earmarks are almost always “air-dropped” into bills at
midnight and need the approval of only one “legislator-king.”
When
a candidate refuses to take the “no earmarks pledge,” he essentially
justifies a process that results in taxpayer money for a “Bridge to
Nowhere,” the building of a rainforest in Iowa, a Woodstock museum, and
congressmen selling earmarks for campaign contributions. A candidate
who says that he’s only for “good” earmarks isn’t telling voters the
whole truth.
Our elected officials are also charged with the
responsibility of carefully scrutinizing a proposed $3 trillion federal
budget that has a projected $400 billion deficit. So far, the U.S.
Congress has not taken any actions to finance Medicare, Medicaid and
Social Security without a massive increase in taxes. Our federal debt
rises and our elected representatives are borrowing from future
generations to pay current bills. That is the height of
irresponsibility.
And yet, we have Congressmen bragging back
home on how they secured a $500,000 or $1 million earmark for a project
to benefit the district. Congress is spending our nation’s inheritance
and pretending that they are doing us a favor by bringing home the
“bacon.” Once he gets his slice of bacon, he won’t care how the huge
federal government is going to spend the other $3 trillion next year.
The earmark addicts just want to get re-elected rather than do the job
that we elected them to do.
We need a 12-Step Program for the
U.S. Congress. The 12-Step Program is a set of principles for recovery
from addictive and compulsive behavior, developed by the fellowship of
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The key ideas involve first “admitting that
one cannot control one’s addiction or compulsion,” “recognizing a
greater power that can give strength,” and “learning to live a new life
with a new code of behavior.” This country is facing serious financial
difficulties that will only hurt hard-working Americans if the U.S.
Congress continues to act irresponsibly. Candidates for the U.S.
Congress need to get the big picture. They have a chance to be citizen
statesmen rather than run-of-mill politicians. They need to take the
“no earmark pledge” now.
Kevin Hanley serves on the Auburn City
Council and as Chief Consultant on health and insurance legislation
with the California Legislature. Send your comments to Kevin at
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