Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Empty Earmarks Pledge

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/opinion/17wed1.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Empty%20Earmarks%20Pledge&st=cse

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: barry levine 
Date: Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 9:26 AM
Subject: re: The Empty Earmarks Pledge
To: letters@nytimes.com


To the Editor:
   This newspaper persists in underestimating the pernicious effect of congressional earmarks.  The cost of such earmarks is vastly larger than the sum of their facevalues. Whole bills that should never have passed have become law because an opposing vote was co-opted with an earmark. This is no side-show.  This is the main business of Congress in carrying out the business of the People.  We have local governments to handle local issues; U.S. senators need to be legislating and voting for the benefit of the nation, not for scraps of porkbarrel to reward their donors.
Barry Levine

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