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Pork-barrel Pitts
Bruce Slater, Narvon
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Yesterday’s New Era
carried another accusation by Joe Pitts. Like prior commentaries in
this newspaper and others in Chester County, Mr. Pitts once again
accuses the Democrats for all that goes wrong in Congress. He repeats
the same bottom line: The Democrats are guilty again; the Democrats
did it again; it is the fault of the Democrats that nothing gets done;
it is the fault of the Democrats that spending is too high!
Does Mr. Pitts ever proof
read or try remembering what his staff puts in front of him to sign?
Allocating fault along party lines is an old song. The tune is
getting tiresome.
Mr. Pitts’ latest comments
were about runaway porkers filling up at the trough. More politely,
it is about Congressmen who earmark the funding of favorite projects
as amendments to pending legislation. In truth, this is part of a
bi-partisan feed-fest. Yet our Congressman refuses to admit he ever
participated in asking for earmarks.
But let’s look at Mr.
Pitts’ statement more closely. He said, “I and many Republicans in
the House have gone even further and decided to stop requesting
earmarks. I will not be requesting earmarks this year.” According to
Taxpayers for Common Sense, only 13 of the 435 members of the House
are not asking for earmarks. That’s less than 3% of the House.
He fails to mention there
are also Democrats who have not asked for funding special projects.
He fails to mention that the top pork winner at the trough is one from
his own party, Senator Ted Stevens, R. from Alaska, who, individually,
asked for $389,043,750 for his special projects (Remember the Bridge
to Nowhere?).
I remind you, Mr. Pitts,
that you, too, are a member of this spend-crazy Congress. I see that
you co-sponsored earmarked projects worth
$10,976,000 this year. How hypocritical is it to not admit
co-sponsoring pork barrel legislation?
According to the National
Debt Clock, our national debt is now over $9 trillion; that is more
than $ 30,500 per person. The Democrats alone are not responsible for
that debt. The Iraq war is responsible. President Bush’s policy of
borrowing from future generations is responsible. You, Mr. Pitts, are
just as responsible for approving that and other debt-incurring
legislation.
Admittedly, earmarks/pork
barrel legislation/feeding at the trough is a problem that cuts across
party lines. We expect you, Mr. Pitts, to work together with all
members of Congress to solve the spending and other huge problems that
facing this country.
The import of this letter
is simply this: The spirit of cooperation and joint responsibility
has been lacking in Mr. Pitts’ votes to authorize debt, his public
statements, and his published commentaries. The “us versus and them”
politics that he spouts should be a thing of the past.
WE the voters expect more
from our representatives, and if you cannot work in the political
sphere to deliver, then it is time to retire. If you paid attention
to the voters in your home district, Mr. Pitts, you would realize that
voters are losing confidence in your abilities. Voter frustration is
reaching a fever pitch. You should not think playing the partisan
blame game will get you through this next election season.
[The above letter was edited by the
New Era when it ran on
February 23rd. The last paragraph was cut out by the
editors.]
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