May 16, 2005

Oink Oink

The Tennessean examines the pork spending lawmakers in the state legislature are requesting as the legislative session moves toward a budget vote. A real good read. One minor quibble: Reporter Trent Seibert writes that "constituents back home put the pressure on for lawmakers to bring back the bacon."

That should have read "some constituents back home put the pressure on for lawmakers to bring back the bacon."

I know of some people who vote against incumbments if they engage in spending tax dollars on pork projects. There are those of us who understand that if our local legislator gets tax dollars to fund a "cultural exchange center" or an "intergenerational theater summer camp," that means the other 131 representatives and senators probably did too, and it adds up to millions upon millions of dollars in additional spending.

And while Seibert describes the prospective source of funds for such projects as "state money," the truth is that state only has money to spend because it first took money from a taxpayer. Governments do not spend "state money," they spend the taxpayers' money.

Rob Huddleston has some additional comments.