Pork Barrel, by a Softer Name, Remains Hidden in U.S. Budget

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/washington/07earmarks.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=ron-nixon&st=nyt&oref=slogin- Hide quoted text -

---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 4:17 PMSubject: Pork Barrel, by a Softer Name, Remains Hidden in U.S. BudgetTo: letters@nytimes.com

To the Editor: Merely tallying earmarks--be they "hard" or "soft"--on face value gravely underrates their impact on our legislative process. If a few paltry millions can bring a key lawmaker on board, a bill worth billions may pass, which should have failed on its merits. In this way, the damage done by earmarks may be under-estimated a thousand fold. Worse, that bad bill may cost more than dollars. Matters of war and peace, our civil liberties and our system of government is in the hands of these lawmakers. They have more important things to do than to scramble for the pork barrel.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549