In his latest column Ron Paul explains how earmarks increase transparency by assigning funds (that would otherwise be spent by secretive bureaucrats) to a specific and fully accountable purpose.
Download the column as an MP3 file here (3:33 minutes).
Earmarks Don’t Add Up
by Ron Paul
Earmarks seem to be the hot topic this week, and as a fiscal conservative I am dismayed so many people deliberately distort the earmarking process and grandstand to make political points. It is an easy thing to do with earmarks. It takes a little more time and patience to grasp the reality of what earmarks really are.
To be sure, if earmarks were the driving force behind explosive government spending as some have been led to believe, that would be a good reason for all the fuss. The misconception seems to be that members of Congress put together a bunch of requests for project funding, add them all together and come up with a budget. The truth is, it is not done that way. The total level of spending is determined by the Congressional leadership and the appropriators before any Member has a chance to offer any amendments. Members’ requests are simply recommendations to allocate parts of that spending for certain items in that members’ district or state. If funds are not designated, they revert to non-designated spending controlled by bureaucrats in the executive branch. In other words, when a designation request makes it into the budget, it subtracts funds out of what is available to the executive branch and bureaucrats in various departments, and targets it for projects that the people and their representatives request in their districts. If a congressman does not submit funding requests for his district the money is simply spent elsewhere. To eliminate all earmarks would be to further consolidate power in the already dominant executive branch and not save a penny.
Furthermore, designating how money is spent provides a level of transparency and accountability over taxpayer dollars that we don’t have with general funds. I argue that all spending should be decided by Congress so that we at least know where the money goes. This has been a major problem with TARP funding. The public and Congress are now trying to find out where all that money went.
The real issue is that the overall budget is too big, by far, which is why I always vote against it. But attacking the 1% that was earmarked solves nothing. The whole issue is a distraction from the real problems we face, which are that the Federal Government will absorb over 1/3 of our country’s GDP this year and taxpayers are forced to fork over more than half their income to fund government at all levels. On top of that, the national debt is $11 trillion, which is $36,000 per citizen. The recent increases in bailouts, government spending and money creation is going to hobble our economy for decades. We must curb the government’s appetite severely if this country is ever to thrive again. The noise over “earmarks” is a red herring and a distraction from the real issue of uncommitted spending.
It is time to attack the entirety of government spending. We especially need a full account of the activities of the Federal Reserve that spends and creates trillions of dollars with no meaningful oversight. This is a huge problem that needs immediate attention.
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[...] to propose them. To propose them only to vote against them. To vote against them and then claim more earmarks – not fewer – are [...]
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@cat_1012000 Ron Paul’s lower Earmarks since POTUS candidate http://t.co/vGA5YNFa
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@cat_1012000 SPEND SPEND SPEND In Ron Paul’s Own Words http://t.co/1s1e4jS8
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[...] Originally Posted by SemperFiUSMC Why? Paul has been part of the fraud and deception of Washington for 23 years and is the master of smoke and mirror legislating. He inserts his own earmarks in bills and then votes against final passage so that he can claim to abhor earmarks. His behavior is intellectually dishonest and political shenaniganery. While I have absolutely no use for the likes of Lugar, Durban, Schumer, inter alia, at least they openly acknowledge they are pork farmers. Your statement about where Ron Paul stands on earmarks is from false information.For where he stands on earmarks you should read what the man has to say about them. More Earmarks – Less Government [...]
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[...] Ron Paul does indeed stick earmark spending projects into certain pieces of legislation, even though he always votes against the legislation anyway. What gives, you ask? Let’s take a look at Ron Paul’s own reasoning. “If a congressman does not submit funding requests for his district the money is simply spent elsewhere. To eliminate all earmarks would be to further consolidate power in the already dominant executive branch and not save a penny. Furthermore, designating how money is spent provides a level of transparency and accountability over taxpayer dollars that we don’t have with general funds. I argue that all spending should be decided by Congress so that we at least know where the money goes.” ~ Ron Paul; March 16, 2009 [...]
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