Stop earmark legislation. Stop the spending.

By Oscar Y. Harward

“Stop the Spending” continues. There are many on Capitol Hill who refuse to hear the cry. Many Democrats with the support of President Obama continue in their effort to spend as they choose, regardless of the ear-piercing messages from Americas’ taxpayers.

On November 30, 2010, Vote Number 255 for “S. Amendment 4697 to S. 510” “To establish an earmark moratorium for fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013”, the US Senate defeated on a ‘39 for’ and ‘56 against’ legislation to establish a moratorium on earmarks for fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Thirty-two Republican Senators voted for the moratorium on earmarks while 8 GOP members voted against the moratorium (Bennett-UT, Cochran-MS, Collins-ME, Inhofe-OK, Lugar-IN, Murkowski-AK, Shelby-AL, and Voinovich-OH). It must be noted that Senators Inhofe and Lugar are up for re-election in 2012.

Fifty of the fifty-seven Democrat Senators voted against the moratorium. Eighteen of these Democrats who voted against the moratorium who are up for 2012 elections: Akaka-HI, Bingaman-NM, Brown-OH, Cantwell-WA, Cardin-MD, Carper-DE, Casey-PA, Conrad-ND, Feinstein-CA, Gillibrand-NY, Klobuchar-MN, Kohl-WI, Manchin-WV, Nelson-NE, Stabenow-MI, Tester-MT, Webb-VA, Whitehouse-RI.

Both Independent Senators Lieberman-CT and Sanders-VT voted against the moratorium on earmarks. Some Republicans In Name Only (RINO) are courting Sen. Lieberman to change his political registration and join the GOP. Sen. Lieberman is a left-wing spending and pro-abortionist Liberal. He votes Conservative on U.S. Military operations only. Republicans need honorable men and women who support fiscal, social, and national security issues on all significant subjects defined in the GOP Platform.

The “big spenders” who voted against legislation to establish a moratorium on earmarks and are up for 2012 re-elections are Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

Many Americans expect members of the Democrat Party to continue with “tax and spend” policies as this is their process that has left Americans’ debt now reaching $14 trillion. When will all Americans demand that the Democrat Party stop “out-of-control” spending, including earmarks?

After the GOP voted against legislation to establish a moratorium on earmarks, many were shocked as the GOP elected Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-KY-5th.) as incoming Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Rogers received $248 million of earmarks from 2008 through 2010. Rep. Rogers did vote with the GOP to establish a moratorium on earmarks. We hope Rep. Rogers’ vote is an honorable contribution in controlling the Capitol Hill “out-of-control” spending.

Now the Capitol Hill Democrats have put together a 1,924 page $1.27 trillion catch-all bill to continue government operations after December 18, 2910. Based on the Washington Post, the legislation includes more than 6,000 earmarks totaling $8 billion. Is this an additional Obama/Reid/Pelosi Democrat Party team “cram down (y)our throat” orchestrated piece of legislation as practiced for the past 2 years regardless of (y)our needs and/or desires?

From Newsmax.com a small list of the wasteful spending includes:

Literal pork: Almost $350,000 is earmarked to study the management of swine waste in North Carolina.

$235,000 for the management of invasive weeds in Nevada.

$300,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii. Founded in 1973, the society sails a “voyaging” boat throughout the Pacific, studying how ancient Polynesian people settled far-flung lands.

Funds are devoted to a variety of agricultural needs, including research of maple syrup in Vermont, control of potato pests in Wisconsin, the development of virus-resistant grapes in Washington state, and peanut cultivation research in Alabama.

$80 million for states and Indian tribes to pay for preservation of Pacific salmon.

$13 million for clean-water initiatives in rural villages in Alaska.

$450,000 for the World Food Prize.

$500,000 for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

$200,000 to install solar panels at a food bank in Arizona.

Americans are demanding to stop the spending, reduce taxes, create jobs, and restore Constitutional freedoms. Legislators must do more than balance the current and future budgets. America must begin to pay off some $14 trillion debt. Americans also desire a return to Judeo-Christian values. When will those on Capitol Hill listen?