fine you wanna do this let's do it, name 5 "pork" programs in the stimulus bill you genius you. since it's full of them, that shouldn't be hard.

and no help from the audience, please

You are the guy who bragged about making $100,000 a year and how rich you feel.

Just do a goggle search on the other.

that's combined income and i was lamenting the fact that other people have to go without, not bragging for the love of god

SO FULL OF PORK (that i can't even name one example)

here here i'm a nice guy i'll give you one just to get started, the NEA grant is just slightly porky. i mean i think it's a good cause but you're a right-wing shill so i'm sure you don't appreciate the arts so we'll count it

just four to go!

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that monitors government spending, the bill includes:

Nearly $1.8 million for pig odor research in Iowa

$950,000 for a convention center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

$143,000 for a natural history museum in Las Vegas

$238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii

Now i have to go, see ya tomorrow evening.

not finding it could i get a link

oh no, not construction jobs, THATS not the point of the stimulus!

ok this also creates a decent number of jobs, and i'm really digging the anti-intellectual "museums are for nerds" vibe

again, not quite seeing how increasing the sum total of our knowledge of history is pork, why are you so anti-education?

so, by yourself, you've come up with mayyyyybe one, if the pig odor thing turns out to be useless

this is 'MARE'KA we don't cotton to busses round here

(happy to say i bike to work and my wife rides the bus, it's possible to do!)

i wish it was backwards, i could really go for a tougher ride first thing in the morning, and it's so hard to want to bike after a 12-hour day

oh well could be worse

Ok, I think the earmark phenomenon is way out of hand. For one thing it allows powerful members of Congress to get their hometown projects funded and other districts to go wanting. The way senators and congressmen get their power is from becoming career, lifelong federal politicians. I propose term limits e.g. two terms for a senator and three or four for a legislator. 10 to 12 years is plenty. It would reduce inordinately powerfull office holders.
Voting out entrenched emcumbents of both parties might be a good way to go.

These earmarks done by both Dems and Repubs are especially contraindicated now in a deep recession. The burgeoning deficit and staggering national debt is dangerous. If China stopped buying our treasury instruments we would be subject to economic decline and inflation. The burden the debt puts on young people is not fair.The sole emphasis now should be on jobs and house stabilization.This is not the time for huge agenda projects.

Interesting to note that Obama said the following yesterday:

*** WASHINGTON - Acknowledging it's an "imperfect" bill, President Barack Obama said he will accept a $410 billion spending package but insisted it must signal an "end to the old way of doing business."

The massive measure funding federal agencies through the fall contains nearly 8,000 pet projects, known as "earmarks" and denounced by critics as pork.

Obama defended earmarks when they're "done right," allowing lawmakers to direct money to worthy projects in their districts -- but added they've been abused, and he'll work with Congress to curb them.

"I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it's necessary for the ongoing functions of government," Obama declared. "But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change."

Obama said future earmarks must have a "legitimate and worthy public purpose", and the contracts involved should be subject to competitive bidding rules. Plus he said he'll "work with Congress" to eliminate any the administration objects to.

But he acknowledged that earmarks have bred "cynicism", and he declared, "This piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business."

Obama did not sign the bill in the presence of cameras and reporters, however.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/bal-obama-spending0311,0,570274.story ***

So Obama agrees earmarks are out of control as I do.

*backs up to thread*

*grabs asscheeks with both hands*

*gently spreads them*

*craps out a post*

 I wish I could find the great article written by one of LA's best writers - Michael Ventura - who was writing on NEA prior to the Silly Season of the opportunistic moderately talented Andres Serrano's mediocre work with "scandalous" titles.  His view was one I agreed with -- what self-respecting artist WOULD want $$$ from the federal government to create art?

 It's an old article from the mid-80s I think but I'll see if I can locate it online.  He wrote for the LA Weekly and that's where it was published.

Susan

PS  Here's a good article with Ventura being interviewed where he opines on artists and their seeming knee jerk waa waa waa about getting monnnnnnnney for their "art."  

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

i'm not usually one of those "the free market is the one true god" types, but if kristo can get private funding for his expensive and inane art, any artist should be able to

 the idea of my tax dollars going toward art doesn't fill me with rage or anything but i'd probably rather see that money go toward education or something

Andres Serrano's photos were exhibited at the LA County Art Museum when I worked there.  If it hadn't been for the titles, no one would have paid them any attention.  More 'provacative' (and how tired I grew of being 'shocked' by Boo Tour Art) was the coyote strung up by the neck.  WowAndresWow.

But guess what?  Federal, state and local taxes already go to education for all the difference it's made.  I have a fix for the LA Unified School District but so what.  No one would implement it.  

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Jordan .

now i'm honestly curious how major works like mount rushmore get funded. clearly it was a specific commission, not a general "go make art" grant, but it's so hard to picture a politician not being laughed off the floor for suggesting carving giant heads.

it was federaly funded and cost less than 1 million to do over 14 years between 1927 and 1941. However there was no work being done for a number of years because of the lack of funding. Originally, it was going to be matching funds but then Congress took it fully over at some point

so how much was a million dollars then compared to today? That's about 14 million today. In comparison, Crazy Horse Memorial which isn't finished is going to cost well over 26 million. And another comparison, the new Capitol Visitor Center cost $620 million.

Jordan .

this is the closes i was able to find:

http://www.nps.gov/moru/historyculture/mount-rushmore-national-memorial.htm

and it's very different than funding elephant dung on a picture of Mary.

Jordan .