Out of Control!!!

The New York Slimes is reporting that the Senate has approved an emergency supplemental spending bill far in excess of what the President requested to cover expenses for Hurricane Katrina damage and the war in Iraq, which excess is without a doubt... pork. 

The House Republicans are reported to be holding a hard line against adding pork to the supplemental funding, and one can only hope they continue to do so.

Shall we take this pork, one strip of bacon at a time?

1.  $289 million to compensate emergency workers who might be injured by experimental flu vaccines.  So don't take the experimental flu vaccine.  What happens to the money if no one is injured by the vaccines?  Don't emergency workers have insurance?  This is ludicrous!

2.  $1.6 billion for levees in Louisiana.  Is Louisiana going to rake in yet another pot of gold designated for the levees, when there have been hefty amounts of tax dollars sent to Louisana for decades, all designated for levee work, which no one in the State is able to account for?  Look.  Instead of insulting our intelligence, why don't they just say, "Hey, we are giving $1.6 billion to Louisiana?"

3.  $30 million for Gulf Coast election assistance.  What the hell is this?  Texas is on the Gulf Coast.  We seem to be able to run elections without assistance.  Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi seem to be able to handle elections as well.  Louisiana has far less voters now than before Hurricane Katrina, since many residents of New Orleans are now living in States where elections do not require assistance.  Florida seems to be the main election-challenged state, but somehow I doubt any of this money is allocated to Florida.

4.  $30 million for forest projects.  For $30 million, you could plant trees from sea to shining sea. 

I would say that the Senate is spending money like drunken sailors, but that would unfairly disparage sailors, sober or drunk.  So, what I will say, is a warning to Republican senators.  We did not send you to Washington to spend money.  Would you kindly put a sticky note on the inside of your front door with a reminder to strap on a set of cajones before leaving for the Capitol every morning?

New York Slimes article