http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/09/29/despite-earmark-reforms-lahood-still-bringing-home-the-pork/ News, politics and the media in the River City Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:18:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/09/29/despite-earmark-reforms-lahood-still-bringing-home-the-pork/#comment-40824 justanobserver Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:44:42 +0000 http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/09/29/despite-earmark-reforms-lahood-still-bringing-home-the-pork/#comment-40824 I once heard a story that when George Ryan was doing his Build Illinois program, state legislators were criticized if they didn't ask for enough money. This stuff drives me nuts. How does a congressman decide who gets what? Where do you draw the line? Private colleges like Bradley and Eureka get this stuff. It's just a taxpayer provided campaign fund for incumbents. I once heard a story that when George Ryan was doing his Build Illinois program, state legislators were criticized if they didn’t ask for enough money. This stuff drives me nuts. How does a congressman decide who gets what? Where do you draw the line? Private colleges like Bradley and Eureka get this stuff. It’s just a taxpayer provided campaign fund for incumbents.

]]> http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/09/29/despite-earmark-reforms-lahood-still-bringing-home-the-pork/#comment-40817 cgiselle12 Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:52:59 +0000 http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/09/29/despite-earmark-reforms-lahood-still-bringing-home-the-pork/#comment-40817 I just don't understand how people think that earmarks are okay? It's shady accounting and politics, pure and simple. Don't get me wrong, I think Springfield's Memorial Center deserves the money for the blood pump things. Of course they do, they're a hospital. But just think, if the gov't outlawed/forbid/whatever earmarks, spending bills would pass a lot faster because there wouldn't be all these questionable things attached to them. Just "this money is for the defense dept" or "this money is for the Dept of Education" or whatever. Then they can deal with all the little bits and pieces individually. I.e. "Illinois hospitals need $10 million for various equipment needs." If you need to look at overall spending, do it by date, month, week, etc. Now I'm no accountant, but I'm familiar with how to keep a budget. Why all the shady, sneaky dealing? Anyone know where it all came from, this earmarks tradition/procedure? I just don’t understand how people think that earmarks are okay? It’s shady accounting and politics, pure and simple.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Springfield’s Memorial Center deserves the money for the blood pump things. Of course they do, they’re a hospital.
But just think, if the gov’t outlawed/forbid/whatever earmarks, spending bills would pass a lot faster because there wouldn’t be all these questionable things attached to them. Just “this money is for the defense dept” or “this money is for the Dept of Education” or whatever.
Then they can deal with all the little bits and pieces individually. I.e. “Illinois hospitals need $10 million for various equipment needs.”
If you need to look at overall spending, do it by date, month, week, etc.
Now I’m no accountant, but I’m familiar with how to keep a budget.
Why all the shady, sneaky dealing? Anyone know where it all came from, this earmarks tradition/procedure?

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