It takes everyone liberal and conservative to run the politics of the engine we call America! Patrotic American warriors defend with their life the right of pacifists to hold the wrong opinions. The Blogmaster harbors some populist ideas and believes in free enterprise as opposed to corporate monopoly capitalism. This is a mostly GOP friendly blog. jdm
CAGW’s 2008 Pig Book Digs Up $17.2 Billion in Pork
Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released the 2008 Congressional Pig Book, the latest installment in an 18-year exposé of pork-barrel spending.
“When Congress adopted earmark reforms last year, there was hope that the number and cost of earmarks would be cut in half. By any measure, that has not occurred,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.
In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) worth $17.2 billion into the 12 appropriations bills. That is a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007, and a 30 percent increase over the $13.2 billion total in fiscal year 2007. Alaska led the nation with $556 in pork per capita ($380 million total), followed by Hawaii with $221 ($283 million) and North Dakota with $208 ($133 million). CAGW has identified $271 billion in total pork since 1991.
For the first time, the names of members of Congress were added to the projects. The top three porkers were members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, beginning with Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) with $892 million; Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) with $469 million; and Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) with $465 million.
The Pig Book Summary profiles the most egregious examples, breaks down pork per capita by state, and presents the annual Oinker Awards. All 11,610 projects are listed in a searchable database on CAGW’s website www.cagw.org. Examples of pork in the 2008 Pig Book include:
$3 million for The First Tee;
$1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service;
$460,752 for hops research;
$211,509 for olive fruit fly research in Paris, France;
$196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic Post Office in Las Vegas;
$188,000 for the Lobster Institute in Maine; and
$148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.
“Americans do not send their hard-earned tax dollars to Washington so that Sen. Daniel Inouye can bring home $173 million in defense pork and receive the Pacific Fleeced Award or get sapped by $4.8 million going to wood utilization research, on which the government has spent $91 million since 1985,” concluded Schatz.
Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.
Read more at their website including Pork detailed list of the squandering. Click on post title to go there.
The time is now!
How can you set there with that smug look on your face ...
eternity comes fast and you don't know your place ...
Fate is standing in the dark shadows playing to your pride ...
and here you are unconcerned like time was on your side ...
The day will come when your ladder of life has no more rungs ...
and all your choices will expire with the breath in your lungs. ..
The nearest Bible can help you make your choice of eternal habitation ...
for you can find Christ Jesus in every book from Genesis to Revelation. ..
jdm2006/02/09"
posted on
http://tinychapel.blogspot.com
Want to talk about eternity?
mailto:jdmartin@pldi.net
Poem of my youth...composed on October 23, 2006
Tracks of a friend in the snow
I have lain on the path of bone chilling fear ...
watched as the death angel hovered near ...
Midnight I rode the trail where black lion stalked ...
my steed snorting his course stayed.. balked ...
I lost my seat and the moon swirled around ...
my head was the first to kiss frozen ground ...
My body bounced down the Arbuckles crag ...
the earth drank my blood and there I laid ...
and dreamed the dream of death’s opening door ...
of life unlived and path’s untracked with joy untasted ...
my future my claim on living gone as I lay wasted ...
but awareness came as light chased away the night ...
My companion grazed close by had kept the cat away ...
snow tracks around my death bed testified to his stay ...
my shirt red soaked with life’s precious fluid staining the ground ...
I drug my pain racked body to the saddle and started down ...
past the still waiting mountain lion eyes peering from thick weeds ...
the smell of my blood kept him waiting to quench his savage needs ...
I looked back as he smelled my blood spilled in the snow where I lay ...
then followed us for awhile before turning to find unguarded prey ...
Danpatch went to equine heaven during the next season’s winter strife ...
But in my dreams I still count the tracks of my friend who saved my life.
.
.
jdm10/23/2006 based on a true occurrence with some literary license applied...My dad was a cowboy and Danpatch had been his favorite horse until he was retired to be my horse. At the time of the poem Danpatch was over twenty years old and I was 12.
Don't Tread on My Flag
We must be very concerned about who we elect as President and Commander in Chief...They must be willing to affirm the Christian roots of this country and the heritage of free enterprise and religious freedom. The must disavow any connection to any other world opinion than one that puts American interests first! They must pledge to never be the instrument of American submission to any authority that subverts the High Law of the Constitution of the United States.At the very least as a potential Commander In Chief of United States Armed Forces they must be able pass and receive a personal Top Secret Clearance background check that we demand of our defenders.God Bless the USA Keep us Free!
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Opinion Oklahoma
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You're nobody til 51 percent loves you
You're nobody til 51 percent cares
You may be Senator
You may possess the lobeyists and all their gold
But gold won't bring you a happy election
Why ...you are already old
The world still is the same, you will never change it
As sure as the stars shine above
You're nobody til 51 percent loves you
So find yourself somevoters to love
Hey Senator you missed the boat by being a fake conservative. Palin for President in 10
The world still is the same, you never change it
As sure as the stars shine above
Well, you're nobody til 51 percent loves you
So find yourself somevoters to love<
Mine own self I write to gratifie....John Bunyun of Pilgrims Progess said it best..
". . . I did not thinkTo shew to all the World my Pen and InkIn such a mode; I only thought to makeI knew not what: nor did I undertakeThereby to please my Neighbour; no not I;I did it mine own self to gratifie."
I write here in Oklahoma Opinion my heartfelt opinions some inherited from my father and grandfathers and codified along my 71 year journey from Bromide, Oklahoma to Newcastle, Oklahoma. Read my words, make up your own mind and love your nieghbors and your country.
Poem about my youthful dance with the death angel...composed on October 23, 2006
Tracks of a friend in the snowI have lain on the path of bone chilling fear ... watched as the death angel hovered near ... Midnight I rode the trail where black lion stalked ... my steed snorting his course stayed.. balked ... I lost my seat and the moon swirled around ... my head was the first to kiss frozen ground ... My body bounced down the Arbuckles crag ... the earth drank my blood and there I laid ... and dreamed the dream of death’s opening door ... of life unlived and path’s untracked with joy untasted ... my future my claim on living gone as I lay wasted ... but awareness came as light chased away the night ... My companion grazed close by had kept the cat away ... snow tracks around my death bed testified to his stay ... my shirt red soaked with life’s precious fluid staining the ground ... I drug my pain racked body to the saddle and started down ... past the still waiting mountain lion eyes peering from thick weeds ... the smell of my blood kept him waiting to quench his savage needs ... I looked back as he smelled my blood spilled in the snow where I lay ... then followed us for awhile before turning to find unguarded prey ... Danpatch went to equine heaven during the next season’s winter strife ... But in my dreams I still count the tracks of my friend who saved my life.
. . jdm10/23/2006 based on a true occurrence with some literary license applied...My dad was a cowboy and Danpatch had been his favorite horse until he was retired to be my horse. At the time of the poem Danpatch was over twenty years old and I was 12. Gosh I miss him!