In light of today's ear-marking reform debate on the Senate floor, I thought I'd try to spark some conversation between us on this aggregious congressional practice, by offering CAGW's Porker of the Month. Citizens Against Government Waste Personally, I offer Senator Thad Cochran as my own Porker of the Month, for trying to bury some language within this reform bill itself, that would in a slippery mannor, still allow "business as usual".
Update. The senators voted overwhelmingly to allow the slippery language into the bill. That language coyly remains to allow federal contracts to be designated to districts of the representatives that slip them into the bill "in the middle of the night" without review by the other representatives. The Ensign (R-Nevada) bill that would have opened any addendum to review by the others, was voted down as I previously mentioned. When will Congress begin to represent the people, as they now and have always represented corporate and other powerful ($) special interests? I wonder... if ever. :-(
I agree completely....I for one am 68 years old (US citizens) and have never voted in my life....In my mind this makes me not responsible for anything our corrupted government as ever done... The only solution to our problem here would cause complete chaos in our markets, but eventually would bring some truth to washington..... It's actually real simple:---and because it's so simple it will never get done... 1st ACTION:--Have new elections for all senate and house seats...One stipulation---All candidates MUST have never been in politics.....We want professors, doctors, accountants, engineers, and civil service....etc..... type people.. 2nd ACTION:--Make lobbing illegal to this new group of government as the 1st bill to pass congress..... 3rd ACTION:--Impeach the president and his staff...For never vetoing anything!!!!...Thats a good enough reason....IE:-Energy Bill, Highway Bill, Medicare Bill, Social Security reform...etc 4th ACTION:--Let the new congress Elect one member from the senate to be the New President.....100 candidates instead of 2....chosen by 400+ elected educated officials, not the uneducated uninformed masses that show up to vote one day every four years based on who advertised themselves better on TV....What a horrible system to elect the most powerful person in the world.... 5th ACTION:Make the media focus on this new government....I'm talking every vote, every bill, follow them like paparazzi so none of them can fall into the trap of the lobbyist (Which would be illegal now) OK thats about all I can think of at the moment....The key to it all is No candidate can have any ties to any former gov't official or lobbyist.... Read the ENERGY BILL---for a good laugh---My favorite law was it clearly states that the head official for the DOE will have complete control over a slush fund----And this slush fund can be donated to by business......HHHHMMMMMM....EXAMPLE...OIL Companies #1 gives Department Of Energy 10 MILLION and DOE gives oil companies subsidies, land, capital and drilling rights....Over OIL company #2 because they only gave 8 MILLION.....If I remember they named this BILL "GASOLINE FOR AMERICANS ACT"-----You had to vote for it no matter what side you were on.....YOU WOULD never win a re-election voting against a BILL with this name.....If I remember correctly---I can't recall anything about a time frame for a new refinery being in the whole bill.....ALSO SOME VERY TRICKY LANGUAGE ABOUT only """"SOME"""" of the gasoline produced from this bill must stay in the United States.... Our oil companies tried to create a Heating OIL bubble for this past winter.....They partially got away with it, but the winter was very warm and supplies held up......In 2005 The 5 Major US oil companies (Exxon, Conoco Phillips, Marathon oil, Valero, and #5 (Can't remember at the moment) )----Shipped (Exported)150% more heating distillates out of the US than they did in 2004....It's true....Basic economics....Heating oil shortages in US cause a much higher price spike than a heating oil shortage in some third world country.... Any opinions or thoughts on my rant!!!! $COSTAverageMAN Forums--Trading for a living--Journal---Want to Share This is where I usually post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a side note to my previous rant-----I have made a small fortune with this administration, mostly because I'm an educated individual who reads the bills that get passed in congress that i didn't vote for.....It has made investing quite simple.....(example) ALL these investments had over 200% returns and as high as 3800% (TIE) Haliburton---When the market turned around in 2003 (CHENEY was an easy one) 25+ other OIL companies over the past 4 years, especially when BUSHY won 2004 election United Healthcaare---When BUSH ran on medicare reform in his 2000 election Cemex (CX), Lafarge (LAF--LR), Martin Marietta Materials (MLM), RMIX (US Concrete), Insteel Industry (IIIN---They make the wire rod for these new highways)---Back in 2003---Because what better to spend money on than a Highway (CEMENT COMPANIES) to know...That was a no brainer....and especially when the bill was about to get passed.... Titanium companies (TIE, RTI, ATI, USAP) in 2003 and 2004----For the pure reason that our gov't was going to sell some dam planes all over the world to help GDP, before 2004 elections to prop up economy....The oil Barrons of the mid east love to please their leader... I may not like our leaders, but trying to guess where to invest my money with them in control has been quite simple.... $COSTAverageMAN