Empty Monuments to Human Ego

Empty monuments to human ego The scandal of congressional 'earmarking' May 1, 2006 by Chuck Colson Sitting in the middle of what used to be pasture in Fairmont, West Virginia, stands a brand-new office building that you helped pay for. Knowing that you would insist on the best, its builders made sure to get all the options: a swimming pool, sauna, and spa. The price: $103 million. Oh yes, it’s nearly empty and likely to stay that way for some time. If you don’t recall ordering a state-of-the-art office building in a cow pasture, you’re not alone. Nobody does. But that’s how the congressional process known as “earmarking” works. Several weeks ago I did a “BreakPoint” commentary calling attention to the scandal of earmarking funds. Many listeners wrote in to inquire what earmarking was. Well, simply put, it is expenditures slipped into the budget by powerful congressmen that bypass the budgeting process and are authorized without debate. While congressmen defend these expenditures with high-sounding rhetoric, their real purpose is to help themselves get re-elected. When you hear people talk about a politician “bringing home the bacon” to his district, chances are he is talking about earmarking. New roads and “glistening glass-and-steel” office buildings are campaign ads in concrete. ...more