It's Time to Roast the Pig - Pork barrel spending by our federal government

It's Time to Roast the Pig
Pork barrel spending by our federal government
by Seth Weathers, Founder/Creator, The Reagan Legacy.com

November 4, 2002

CAUTION - You are about to become extremely angry - please try and control yourself as you read this article. Yelling, screaming, kicking, throwing objects, and jumping up and down will not help the current situation. Calling your Congressman might… Voting for good political candidates will!

Right now we've got enough pork (excessive spending) in the U.S. government to have a worldwide barbeque and still have some leftover! Spending, appropriated by Congress, has gotten completely out of control! As I write this, we have a national debt of $6,197,635,021,767 (yes, that's trillion) yet; Congress is spending our money as if it grows on trees - they obviously weren't told otherwise as children. I've done some research to see exactly where our money is going… here's what I found:

In the year 2001, Congress appropriated $340,000,000 in federal tax dollars to PBS (Public Broadcasting Services). I'm sure that Barney the purple dinosaur and Big Bird appreciate this generous gesture, but they are hardly worthy of our tax dollars! So the next time you turn on PBS (if you actually watch it) and see them asking for donations, remember that you are already a sponsor.

The National Endowment for the Arts received $104,769,000 in the year 2001. This was an increase by $7,000,000 from the previous year; sadly, this took place under President George W. Bush's watch. The NEA has long been a sore spot among most conservatives due to it's sponsoring of such things as a painting of the Virgin Mary littered with elephant dung and pornographic clippings. To read more about the NEA, see my more in-depth column here.

The CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) created in 1972 by Congress, received a budget of $55,200,000 for the year of 2002. The CPSC spends its time on important issues like having 8,000 "Bottle Cap Bear" key chains recalled because of the possible "choking hazard to young children." This is typical government; they don't think you are capable of deciding what is safe and what isn't for your own children. Remember to keep in mind that government knows best. I don't know how kids survived up until 1972, when this program was created! I bet parents didn't even realize the imminent danger that they were putting their children in every time they gave them a toy that wasn't approved by the CPSC! Thank goodness we are now finally safe!

One of the more interesting programs that the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior sponsored (by giving $968,000 in 2001) is the African Elephant Conservation. This was created to "provide financial assistance to any organization or individual responsible for African elephant conservation, and any organization or individual with experience in African elephant conservation, for approved elephant conservation projects to support research, conservation, management and protection of African elephants." I thought this was Barnum & Bailey's job? Maybe this was created so that we will have an endless supply of elephant dung for the National Endowment for the Arts. This would make it very convenient for artists; they could stop by and pick up a load on their way to the studio every day.

$5,000,000 went to the University of Alaska, North Pacific University, and the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation to fund the "stellar sea lion recovery plan."

$1,500,000 went to the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary for the year 2002.

$450,000 for the Pacific tropical ornamental fish research. Since the year 2000, they have received $1.15 million for this project. Taking a trip to Sea World would be much cheaper!

§ The government has really put the peddle to the metal on wasteful spending this time! For the year 2002, $190,000 has gone to the Motor Racing Museum of the South, in Spartanburg, SC.

These few items alone (there are hundreds more similar to these) cost us $508,727,000 a year! I'm beginning to smell barbeque… don't you? Most of you are probably outraged at this blatant waste of your money! Many people believe that this is a waste, but Congress has the power to do so if it so wishes.

But did you know that much of the spending by Congress isn't within their authority set by the Constitution? What about the National Endowment for the Arts? Was it within Congresses authority to appropriate that $104,769,000 last year? They often use the excuse that "The Constitution allows for money to be granted to support the arts in Article I section 8." Does it? Article I section 8 says, "To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." We can start with the fact that this is referring to "science" and "useful arts" ; you can hardly justify elephant dung as "useful." Secondly, it says to "promote the progress… by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." This is clearly talking about copyright laws and patents. It doesn't say anything about giving money to these causes!

Section 8 of Article I opens with, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States." This is very specific about the powers entrusted to Congress. Congress has clearly trampled all over these restrictions!

It's time we take back Congress and end this abuse! We can do this by electing congressmen who vow to protect and uphold the Constitution. We can also contact our current Congressmen who are violating these rules set by the Constitution. Let them know that you are tired of their abuse of powers and the trampling of the Constitution. You will find that it isn't just liberal Democrats squandering our money; many Republicans are guilty of this as well! To contact your Congressional delegate, go to www.Congress.org.

So, on November 5th, when you enter the voting both and have the choice between the "porker" and someone who is willing to uphold the Constitution, vote for the constitutionalist. You'll be happy that you did! (And so will your wallet). ***

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke

_______________________________________

Seth Weathers is the Founder and Creator of The Reagan Legacy.com, a tribute to America's 40th commander-in-chief, Ronald Wilson Reagan.