Tucked away in this $623 million per page x 1,924 pages = $1,300,000,000,000.00 (trillion in case big figures numb your mind like they do mine) is $8,000,000,000.00 earmarks masquerading like monasteries instead of like the "cathouses" they will really fund.
People say "well, 8 billion isn't very much out of a $13.4 trillion dollar national deficit. True, but it 'ain't" peanuts, either. What is really means is that if you support my $5-10 million for the underfunded Peoria Riverfront Museum, I'll support your $5 million to study whether having sexual intercourse "naked", (you know what I mean) versus using a condom results in making more or less usually unwanted babies. Unwanted at least by the guy that's naked. Or more bicycle trails or walking trails. Reduces pollution, you know. Or taxpayer money for studying the effect of mutant arthropods on the Nevada desert.
You will be surprised how lot's of small charges on your credit card add up or how much a 1/4% tax hike adds up in Peoria City or County, like $3-4 million per year.
You want more beefsteak for your constituents, then "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is a practice older than the birth of Muhammad, the 1st. Did I just insult some people? Too bad.
I applaud the efforts of Tea Party types in getting "new" blood elected to Congress but I won't start cheering loudly until I see how these newbies react to special interests pressures, big money supporters and pressure to bring home the beefsteak to the communities they come from. Very few can resist the temptation no matter what they promised on the campaign trail.
You can bet Kirk and others have already received lists of "absolute" priorities such as a $5 million new parking lot and entrance to the Glen Oak Zoo, money that a generous public failed to contribute before the zoo opened 18 months ago.
By way, I thought I would just mention that Build America Bonds were ORIGINALLY intended to be used to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, sewers, storm water retention, etc but somewhere the got sidetracked to musuems and union employed county owned nursing homes and possibly parking lots for zoos.
There is so much governmental debt in this country that being on the taxpayer dole is like belonging to an exclusive club. Elected officials are going around saying "you tell us what you owe, or are going to owe (hint, the bonds for the $80,000,000.00 School District #150 bonds, payments starting to come due in 2013-14 from property tax payers; taxed yearly for at least 20 years, BelWood nursing home bonds (and interest) that will be repaid by property taxpayers for 30 years $3,200,000.00 last year and I'll brag about how much or little we owe.
Now.
Kind of like a dating couple comparing credit card balances vs. what they estimate to inherit BEFORE they make a trip to the altar, planned or unplanned.
Merry Christmas
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