Giving back Congressional pork barrel??
"They can kiss my ear!", responded Representative Don Young (D-Alaska) when presented with pleas by thousands of Alaskans that their state voluntarily relinquish the staggering amount of transportation pork barrel money, to provide desperately-needed money for Gulf-coast Hurricane Katrina relief.
When pressed further about the "America Gives Back" proposals being pushed by many Alaskans, Rep. Young further exclaimed, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Young Scoffs at Criticism of Bridges" (Anchorage Daily News) gives a rather grim insight into the desperation elected officials feel in protecting their "hard-won" pork barrel projects for their pet constitutencies.
Michelle Malkin provides a vigorous critique of "Don Young: Hog Wild".
Left-wing blogger Think Progress captures the essence: Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is a self-proclaimed “little oinker” and aspires to be the “chief porker. A CNN video interview link is provided, and the following dialogue between the CNN reporter and Rep. Young ensues:
When pressed further about the "America Gives Back" proposals being pushed by many Alaskans, Rep. Young further exclaimed, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Young Scoffs at Criticism of Bridges" (Anchorage Daily News) gives a rather grim insight into the desperation elected officials feel in protecting their "hard-won" pork barrel projects for their pet constitutencies.
Michelle Malkin provides a vigorous critique of "Don Young: Hog Wild".
Left-wing blogger Think Progress captures the essence: Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is a self-proclaimed “little oinker” and aspires to be the “chief porker. A CNN video interview link is provided, and the following dialogue between the CNN reporter and Rep. Young ensues:
The issue of Congressional pork-barrel extravagance, all for the sake of helping buy key campaign contributions and votes from pet constituencies in members' home districts, should not die. Our nation must demand better performance from Members of Congress than the execrable waste and "let them eat cake" arrogance demonstrated by Rep. Young and many other power brokers in the halloweed halls of Congress.REPORTER: Isn’t there a bunch of stuff in that highway bill, at least 24 billion dollars, that could be taken out and used for the people in New Orleans and Mississippi and the places that were affected?
REP. YOUNG: No! That money is not there! That money is for transportation! That is not added pork. See, that’s why the whole media — Wall Street Journal, yourself, respectfully, you know, Sam Donaldson — don’t know what the hell you are talking about. This is grandstanding by individuals that don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ll go back to that. It’s ignorance and stupidity.
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http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/safetealu/percapita.htm
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