Conservative Musings

A Picture of Pork

The folks at the Sunlight Foundation have put together a Google Earth view of all the Defense Appropriations Earmarks.  Cool.

As they say in their post, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.

Get the Google Earth software here.

-Colonel Steve

A Perfect Republican Candidate?

Remember the election from almost 11 months ago?  So many Republicans were literally kicked out, all for acting in my opinion as Republicans in name only (RINO's).  As a group, including some who are still there, they voted on bills as though the taxpayer's pockets were bottomless.

Now Patrick Ruffini (here and here) refers to someone within the GOP who could very well be their guiding North Star.  That person is Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin.

Two major planks of her political career have been ethics (check her whistle blowing background) and her desire to kill off pork.  She was a major player behind the death of the "Bridge to Nowhere".

I think she would make a great candidate for any position within our great country.  Any current legislator, of any stripe, should take note of her accomplishments and her poll numbers AFTER her successes.  As Patrick notes: "A poll out last month put Palin's approval rating at 84%, and Fred Barnes has noted that she probably America's most popular elected official in any party. "

Take note, those of you seeking election or re-election.  Ethics and being conservative fiscally ARE important.

-Colonel Steve

No More Earmarks??

Democrats tidying up a cluster of unfinished spending bills dumped on them by departing Republican leaders in Congress will start by removing billions of dollars in lawmakers' pet projects next month.

So starts the article entitled "Dems to Wipe Out Pet Projects in Bills".  My first thoughts were that I was watching the incoming liberal leaders acting as fiscal conservatives.  All while having watched the outgoing conservative leaders acting as fiscal liberals.  No doubt that I'm not the only one whose seen this.

"There will be no congressional earmarks,"  stated Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin and Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia.  Will the liberal leadership live up to this challenge?  Those of us who actually like the idea will have to keep a close eye on it.  If they do live up to it, it'll be a time for conservative leaders to take in a lesson or two.

-Colonel Steve

Google's Head Warns Politicians

Google's boss, Eric Schmidt, is predicting that the internet will provide within 5 years the capability to prove or disprove the truth behind politician's statements.  But the good thing is, we're well on the way towards this kind of political change:

1. Blogging groups like Porkbusters that have opened up more transparency on Capitol Hill (like finding who was putting secret holds on the bill for listing government spending online).
2. Organizations like Kentuckyvotes.org, who are listing the votes of Kentucky representatives and senators.  In it's first year, the Kentucky House and Senate missed-vote count went down considerably when comparing 2005 with 2006 (see statistics here).
3. Blogs that have uncovered stories like Rather-gate and Trent Lott's comments about Strom Thurmond.

I'm glad to see others recoginizing the political changes being fostered by the internet.

-Colonel Steve

Earmark Rule Change Expiration

I posed a question in an earlier post on requesting more details on the House rule change giving more transparency to earmarks.  I think I may have found my answer from the Christian Science Monitor:

Answer for Earmark-Reform Rules Change

Today's Courier-Journal notes in an opinion what may be an answer to my previous question as to why Anne Northup voted against the earmark rules change.  This is the change that brings more transparency to the earmarks process.

The opinion states:

the House passed a weak change in rules that will apply to only a small fraction of such "earmarks," and will expire in just a few weeks.

This is fine with Southern Indiana's Mike Sodrel and John Hostettler and Kentucky's Ed Whitfield, Ron Lewis and Geoff Davis -- all Republicans -- who voted for it.

On the losing side, for radically different reasons, was an unusual alliance of liberal Democrats (joined by Kentucky's Ben Chandler) and House Appropriations Committee members (including Kentucky's Anne Northup and Hal Rogers).

If true, that it applies to a fraction of earmarks, and expires shortly, then Anne did good voting with the noes on this change.  Yeah, many voted for it due to at least getting some rule change through the House, but I don't think many like myself knew that it was a short lived rule change.

Anyone have details on this to support the "short lived" status of this rule change?

-Colonel Steve

Earmark-Reform Rules Change

Instapundit reports today that the Earmark-Reform Rules Change made it through the House with a vote of 245-171.  This vote means there will be a greater level of transparency concerning pork as it travels through the House.  That's the good news!

The bad news?  Take a look at the roll call of the vote.  From Kentucky, the ayes were Ed Whitfield,  Ron Lewis, and Geoff Davis.  The noes were Anne Northup, Hal Rogers and Ben Chandler.

I expected a no from Ben Chandler, but come on Hal and Anne!  What's wrong with a little transparency when it comes to OUR money.  When it comes to spending OUR money, you should be proud of each and EVERY vote you place towards spending it.

You can contact Anne here, or Hal here.  Since Anne represents us here in Louisville, I'd be more than happy to hear an explanation of the no vote.

-Colonel Steve

Quote of the Day

“When I become chairman [of a House appropriations subcommittee], I'm going to earmark the **** out of it.”  Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) at the Arlington County Democratic Committee's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner on June 9.

If the democrats win a majority, at least we know what their plans are.  His district is probably a safe one for election day.  I hope for more transparent truth like this from more democrats.

-Colonel Steve

Money Vetoed From State Budget

Governor Fletcher did veto items from the latest budget.  According to what I verbally heard on WDRB-41 news this evening, all colleges had money cut but it looks like more was cut from the University of Louisville than from other state universities.

Money was kept for the University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) for a school of pharmacy.  Fletcher left the money in, but is having attorneys check to see if it is consitutionally ok to give to a church affiliated school. 

-Colonel Steve

Kentucky State Pork

Both the Porkbusters blog and the Bluegrass Policy Blog hav a listing of current pork in legislation.  Governor Fletcher has a chance in the next 10 days to agree with the pork or veto it.

Take a look at either blog for a list of some of the pork.  Tops on the list: $75 million for the sports arena here in Louisville.  As mentioned by myself before, this is something private industry should build with privat financing, not government with taxpayer financing.

Let Governor Fletcher know what you think.

-Colonel Steve