Earmarks - The Horror

I don't understand the drama over earmarks. Apparently, there are more than 8,500 earmarks in the omnibus spending bill currently before the Senate, and a few Democrats, and more Republicans, are having a cow about it.

Really guys? This is where you want to make your stand?

I just love how people seem to think that civil society, and all of its perks, come out of nowhere. Fiscal conservatives love frugal entertainment. Take the kids to the park, to the "free day" at the museum, etc. People want to drive to work on pot-hole free, uncongested roads. People want businesses to be protected from litigation. People want to live in odor-free neighborhoods. But they don't want to pay for it.

Oh, no, that stuff comes by magic, right? Dropped off by the shoemaker's elves, right?

No.

You want to live somewhere nice, you gotta pay for it. You want parks, libraries, playgrounds, you gotta pay for 'em. You want Hormel to be able to sell their pork tenderloins Buy One/Get One Free, you gotta pay for pig manure smell reduction research so Hormel isn't constantly getting the crap sued out of them for the stench their operations create. You want research into autism - pay for fruit fly research.

In short, you want to live in civilization - quit your bitching and pay your dues.

Earmarks are an efficient way for Congress to get projects paid for. Projects that are necessary but would never pass on their own, because everyone is too fucking selfish and self-interested to vote for things like "pig odor research" when they aren't smelling any pigs yet.