Pork- Get Use To It!

DeepGreen · March 12, 2009

Why would one even question spending millions of the taxpayer dollars for a tribute for Ted Kennedy? I'm sure MaryJo Kapeckne's family agrees. And I'm really tired of hearing the term "shovel ready projects". <_<

AP March 11, 2009

BOSTON – More than one out of every five dollars of the $126 million Massachusetts is receiving in earmarks from a $410 billion federal spending package is going to help preserve the legacy of the Kennedys.

The bill includes $5.8 million for the planning and design of a building to house a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. The funding may also help support an endowment for the institute.

The bill also includes $22 million to expand facilities at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum and $5 million more for a new gateway to the Boston Harbor Islands on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a park system in downtown Boston named after Kennedy's mother and built on land opened up by the Big Dig highway project.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Kennedy, who at 77 is battling brain cancer, said he hadn't requested the money for the library and institute, and that there are dozens of other earmarks in the spending bill for homeless services and community health centers.

The $22 million JFK library earmark was sponsored by fellow Massachusetts Democrat Sen. John Kerry, who is also a top sponsor for the money for the Kennedy Senate Institute. Kerry defended the library project, which he said is needed to upgrade the facility.

"This National Archives project will eliminate the worst archival storage space problem in the presidential library system and it will facilitate six years of work to expand the library," Kerry said in a statement. "This shovel-ready project will also bring much-needed jobs to the area."

A proposal to build a national institute on the U.S. Senate and to name it after Kennedy has been under discussion since 2003, but accelerated after Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer.

Local officials last year announced they were seeking up to $100 million to build the institute, which they said would focus on the Senate in general and Kennedy's more than four decades of service to the body. The facility will be located in Boston on a four-acre plot near the JFK library.

About $20 million has already been raised for the institute, including contributions from drug companies, insurance companies and hospitals. Tentative plans called for a replica of the Senate chamber itself, as well as programs to train new senators.

The list of earmarks provided by Kennedy, Kerry and the state's all-Democratic congressional delegation highlights programs throughout the state, including $3 million to preserve New England fisheries; $1.7 million for land acquisition at Cape Cod National Seashore; and $333,000 to study any links between environmental pollutants and breast cancer.

"These funds will create jobs that are desperately needed, and will provide lasting benefits for all our citizens long into the future," Kennedy said in statement accompanying a list of earmarks.

The billions in earmarks in the federal spending bill have been a source of contention.

President Barack Obama signed the bill which he described as imperfect. He said it must signal an "end to the old way of doing business."

Critics led by Republican Sen. John McCain have denounced the 8,000 pet project contained in the bill as pork.

KRAM1 · March 12, 2009

Just another campaign promise already broken. How many recall Mr. Obama pledging to go over the budget line by line and cut out the earmakrs???? Was great to see that campaign speech replayed on national news last evening...not Fox either....He is now making up excuse after excuse "why" he has broken his campaign promises....this isn't the first (can you spell the timetable for removing troops from Iraq?) and will not be the last. Typical politician. Promise anything, get the "sheep" we have as voters to vote for you, and then break every promise you made. GREAT job Prez...that's the "real" change we knew you would bring to Washington...NONE!!!! Same old cr4ap...only worse!

meangreendork · March 12, 2009

You sit here and blame the President for it while your own party is guilty of earmarking a good share of that money. Funny how this works.

http://roaringrepublican.com/2009/03/04/re...-spending-bill/

It's really everyone's mess. The economic situation up until now and the situation as it is. Pointing the finger at just one person is really fruitless effort.

Edited March 12, 2009 by meangreendork

KRAM1 · March 12, 2009

So what? The Republicans have shown to be "spenders" in the last few years...why do you think they LOST the House and the Presidency???? The point is...OBAMA promised to cut them out if they were inserted in the budget...they were inserted...who cares by which party as both parties are guilty...OBAMA PROMISED TO CUT THEM OUT OF THE BILL. HE DIDIN'T...point is...he has already shown on more than one accasion that his promises are NOT GOING TO BE KEPT. So, try to get the point of my post, please and thank you!

meangreendork · March 12, 2009

The bill's been cut down significantly, with earmarks less than 1% of the total bill. Six of the ten biggest 'earmarkers' were Republicans. Republican earmarks consisted of 40% of the total per tradition (Majority party gets 60%, minority party gets 40%). Then there's about 40% in tax cuts/breaks, and the rest in the actual general spending fund. I'd say that 1%> is a good start.

You know, homework and such.

Edited March 12, 2009 by meangreendork

KRAM1 · March 12, 2009

Once again...READ MY POST! I am not talking about WHO added the earmarks...I am talking about the BROKEN PROMISE OBAMA made to cut them out! He promised...he didn't. Change the conversation to anything you want, but the fact is...he screwed it!

GET THIS...Earmarks are not good...doesn't matter who adds the darn things...if you say you are going to cut them out...CUT THE DARN THINGS OUT. Don't tell me one thing and then within a matter of two months do exactly the opposite.

Anyone else need to re-read my original post to figure out what i was actually saying? Geeeezzzzzzzzz! <_<

eulesseagle · March 12, 2009

dork-

there are over 9000 (nine thousand) ear marks in this "so called" stimulus bill. there was no line by line deletion. there was no economic stimulus in this....round one of economic recovery????

GET READY for "Stimulus II"...... it is around the bend and coming fast.

DeepGreen · March 12, 2009

Once again...READ MY POST! I am not talking about WHO added the earmarks...I am talking about the BROKEN PROMISE OBAMA made to cut them out! He promised...he didn't. Change the conversation to anything you want, but the fact is...he screwed it!
GET THIS...Earmarks are not good...doesn't matter who adds the darn things...if you say you are going to cut them out...CUT THE DARN THINGS OUT. Don't tell me one thing and then within a matter of two months do exactly the opposite.
Anyone else need to re-read my original post to figure out what i was actually saying? Geeeezzzzzzzzz!

I am a Republican and I approve of this message. And, I figured it out the first time.