Posted at MOBANGE!:

There has been a great deal of energy spent in the blogosphere regarding pork, spending that is put into legislation at the last minute without debate. This is a bad practice just on principle, and it's even worse in that it has grown substantially in recent years.

I am pleased to report that Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has done a good deed to help stop this practice. He offered 19 anti-pork amendments to bills. The reason they were anti-pork amendments in that they separated the pork from the bills themselves, and demanded that legislators go on record for or against the pork in the bills. The legislators did so.

I happen to live in the Minnesota 4th Congressional District, represented since 2000 by Betty McCollum, and represented by Democrats since the late Jurassic period. Actually 1948, when Eugene McCarthy was first elected. Since then, only 4 people have held this seat: McCarthy (10 years), Joseph Karth (18 years), Bruce Vento (24 years), and McCollum (6 years).

I am pleased that The Club for Growth has done a good deed. They have compiled the votes on the 19 anti-pork amendments so that the public can see where their legislator stands on the issue of pork.

I am displeased to announce that Betty McCollum has a perfect record: a perfectly bad record that is. I'm further displeased to announce McCollum joined the majority of the House in telling Jeff Flake to get the public's nose out of the business of Congress, by voting against each and every one of Flake's anti-pork amendments. Here are the pork items for which McCollum voted. The links are links to the actual votes. A "Yes" vote on any of these amendments is a vote against pork.

House Vote 190 - Dairy education in Iowa ($229,000)
House Vote 191 - Hydroponic tomato production in Ohio ($180,000)
House Vote 192 - National Grape and Wine Initiative ($100,000)
House Vote 204 - Virginia Science Museum ($250,000)
House Vote 205 - Juniata Locomotive Demonstration ($1,000,000)
House Vote 277 - Swimming pool in Banning, CA ($500,000)
House Vote 278 - "Facilities" in Weirton, West Virginia ($100,000)
House Vote 279 - Multipurpose facility in Yucaipa, California ($500,000)
House Vote 280 - Strand Theater Arts Center in Plattsburgh, New York ($250,000)
House Vote 298 - Mystic Aquarium in New London, Conn. ($1,000,000)
House Vote 299 - The Jason Foundation in Ashburn, VA ($1,000,000)
House Vote 302 - Northwest Manufacturing Initiative ($2,500,000)
House Vote 303 - Lewis Center for Education Research ($4,000,000)
House Vote 304 - Leonard Wood Research Institute ($20,000,000)
House Vote 334 - Arthur Avenue Retail Market ($150,000)
House Vote 335 - Bronx Council for the Arts in Bronx, N.Y. ($300,000)
House Vote 336 - Johnstown Area Regional Industries ($800,000)
House Vote 337 - Fairmont State University ($900,000)
House Vote 338 - Tourism Development Association in Kentucky ($1,000,000)

This comes out to $34,759,000 of U. S. taxpayer money that was spent without debate. I plan on writing about the recipients of your money in future posts, and I hope you will join me in mocking them to scorn. I hope the day will come, and soon, when seeking an earmark will be an occasion of shame instead of a day of rejoicing for having pulled a fast one on the taxpayers.

Jeff Flake Betty McCollum The Club For Growth earmarks

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