Earmarks

I've never been one who is all wild-eyed about the reports of earmarks in appropriations bills. One, because they are not new or particularly novel, although they have grown massively. Two, earmarks are a rounding error compared to the entitlement crisis we face. Three, there are very good reasons for earmarks. When Congress doesn't direct the spending, it leaves that discretion to the agencies, the largely unregulated fourth branch of government. Agencies, in turn, direct money to their patrons, the committee chairmen who oversee their oversight committees and who appropriate them money.

Now what is broken is the process by which earmarks are authorized. The omnibus bills that package them all together and then require a single up or down vote feeds into every image of Congress as a group of detestable slimebags. Earmarks need to be subject to votes and they need to be decided on their merits.

Anyway, the Seattle Times put together a list of the atrocities. Here.