By Craig Ziemba / guest columnist
January 13, 2008 12:03 am
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In the numerous discussions I’ve heard recently over who should replace Senator Lott and Congressmen Pickering and Wicker, the issue most folks seem concerned with is which candidate might be capable of bringing home the most pork.
But in light of the challenges we face against global Islamic totalitarianism, the looming Social Security crisis, a nine trillion dollar national debt and a cultural civil war on America’s social foundations, it’s disturbingly small-minded that many citizens focus on their personal self-interest over what’s best for the future of the nation as a whole. Our notion of democracy has apparently devolved into a contest in which districts send representatives to Washington with the expectation that they immediately commence grabbing every federal dollar they can to spend on projects back home.
This is done in large part through a process called earmarking, where Congressmen add expenditures by the thousands to legislation in the last few moments before the vote. These do not usually even appear in the text of the bill but rather in committee reports to avoid public scrutiny. Over 11,000 such earmarks were appropriated last year including 2,000 in the defense appropriation bill ostensibly passed to fund our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
When Republicans seized control of Congress in 1994, they promised to slow the rate of growth of the federal government and reduce government waste. Unfortunately, the temptation to spend proved greater than their conservative commitment to limited government. They tripled the size of annual earmark spending and grew the federal government faster than the Democrats ever had. As a result, Republicans lost the moral high ground and the majority in both houses as well. Our supposedly conservative Mississippi Congressional delegation was just as guilty as the rest. (Try googling Citizens Against Government Waste or porkbusters.org)
This recent lesson appears to be lost on many Mississippi conservatives who are already scanning the horizon for the next Congressional sugar daddy. But here’s a radical thought: Instead of looking for a candidate who claims to have inside connections to the pork barrel gravy train, perhaps Mississippians should consider which candidate will faithfully represent the ideals we as a conservative, God-fearing state are supposed to cherish.
There are much bigger issues at stake than more federal dollars for local pet projects. Congressmen love issuing press releases trumpeting the latest federal grant for playground equipment, art districts, and agricultural subsidies. But buying popularity isn’t leadership—it’s opportunistic pandering, and it’s wrong.
The Constitution which our elected representatives swore to uphold specifically describes what Congress is authorized to spend our money on in Article I. It’s a short list comprising mainly of national defense, infrastructure, interstate commerce, and other constitutional functions like the judiciary. According to Article X of the Bill of Rights, all other powers not expressly given to the federal government are reserved to the States or to the people. Consequently, there’s no legal basis for much of what’s been spent locally by our own delegation.
“Don’t be a party pooper,” I’m told, “We’re a poor state and ought to grab every dime of federal money we can regardless of what it’s for.” But surely we can see that this mindset ultimately impoverishes our spirit just as certainly as it plunges our nation further into debt.
Since government can only give what it has first taken away (in taxes or borrowed to be repaid later with yet more taxes), every hard-working citizen has a personal stake in reducing the size and expense of government. And the next time a politician asks for your vote, remind him of that.
Craig Ziemba is a military pilot who lives in Meridian.
His latest book is available at Meridian Bible Bookstores.
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