Well, that’s not exactly true; special interest groups - who pay the lobbyists - who hob-knob the Congressmen - who slide in the unauthorized Rock and Roll Hall of Fames and Sea Otter Commissions while the rest of us aren’t looking – they all know how earmarks work.

And that’s exactly the problem; we the taxpayers are in the dark. We have no recourse in how our own tax dollars are spent, and that must change.

Truth be told, earmarks in their own right are not wholly unnecessary; however, in their currently corruptible form, earmarks can take on the crooked form of what has become known as “pork.” Webster’s dictionary notes the difference: To earmark is to “designate (as funds) for a specific use or owner,” while pork barrel is “a government project or appropriation yielding benefits to a political district and its political representative.” Another words, when a project to build a multi-million dollar rainforest in the middle of America is added to the highway bill during conference (and thus not authorized specifically, not the subject of congressional hearings, and only serving as a local or special interest), that is “pork.”

So how can regular citizens track when their tax dollars are being appropriated responsibly and efficiently, and when they’re being commandeered by special interests?

Tough question, particularly in light of the pathological culture of the special-interest earmarking corroding the inside of the Beltway. Yet there are many viable, practicable options for reform.

Here are six that offer adjustments to end the government’s irrational exuberance:

1. Institute a one-year moratorium on all unauthorized earmarks until more comprehensive legislation can be passed. According the pork watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste, the number of annual unauthorized earmarks, or “pork” projects, has skyrocketed from 958 in 1996 to 13,999 in 2005 – a 1,361 percent increase. And as pork has increased, so too has the influence of the lobbying industry, which uses the earmark process to further their special interest politics. Outlawing earmarks will halt this pathology.

2. Change ethics rules [clause 5(a)(3)(O) of House Rule 26] to close the loophole that allows state and local governments to exceed standard gift provisions. This loophole allows lobbyists for public universities and city governments to ignore the $50 gift limit that applies to private-sector lobbyists, letting them legally schmooze Members of Congress at fancy restaurants and in luxury skyboxes at sporting events around the country. Taxpayers don’t want their hard-earned tax dollars paying for the solicitation of more taxpayer dollars. Close the vicious cycle.

3. Allow Members of Congress to debate any and all earmarks on the Floor (a simple addition to the budget process rules). While this could be tedious and long, it would force the Members to defend the merits of their projects on the Floor, thereby discouraging wasteful, inefficient spending.

4. Add something akin to The Obligation of Funds Transparency Act of 2005 (H.R. 1642), which would require earmarks to be included in the text of the actual spending bill before it goes to conference, thus making earmarks more visible and amendable before the final legislation is passed.

5. Institute a 72-hour “cooling off” period. Place appropriations bills online for citizen review. This would allow for the blogosphere to dissect the bills’ earmarks and decide what’s legitimate and what’s pork.

6. Implement a Federal Tax and Expenditure Limit. Reinstate direct democracy into the federal budgetary process while limiting government spending and out-of-control growth.

These six reforms range from short-term to near-term to long-term substitutes for entrenched waste and deception, which makes the process seem daunting. But as the saying goes, nothing worthwhile ever came easy. That is why the process must begin now.

Congress should roll up its sleeves and slap a one-year moratorium on earmarks before the session begins at the end of the month. From there, we can all move towards a clearer, more efficient budget process that reflects the priorities of the American people.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.