STOP THE MUSIC AND QUIT DANCING

It is time to stop the music and quit dancing around the earmark (some call pork) and spending bill now being considered in Washington. President Obama committed to all of us that he would not allow "earmark spending". Well, it should not matter how or why or when the "earmarks" got into the current spending bills they should not be allowed if President Obama truly wants to keep his promise. Having said that, the term earmark has been demonized to mean "pork" or "wasteful" and this distortion drives the media and other critics to "show that our Government leaders are totally irresponsible. The whole concept of listing spending for specific projects in specific States and requested by specific legislators is supposed to make them all accountable and provide "we the people" to know where and how our money is being spent. This is a good thing in theory. The problem is that there will always be someone that can and will attack virtually any spending on anything if they feel they can score political points.

The minority party screams about close to 8 billion dollars of "earmarks" and "pork" and "wasteful spending" (out of a 417 billion dollar spending package) and somehow do not seem to acknowledge or recognize that 40% (or close to 3.2 billion dollars) of these earmarks are being requested by their own party. Sorry, but you cannot make an argument about the 8 billion dollars unless and until you remove your 40%. Until the minority party is willing to do this they will not gain the high ground.

The majority party cannot talk about being responsible "moving forward" or "next time". They are the Party in power NOW. Unnecessary "earmarks" or other spending should be removed from this or any other legislation. If not, the credibility of the message of change simply drifts away with the breeze.

So, the challenge with this spending bill or any future spending will (as always) come down to defining "wasteful spending" and further the definition of "earmarks". Are all earmarks wasteful spending? Are all earmarks "pork"? If our leaders want to insure the acceptance of the spending of our money they need to convince "we the people" that the spending is, in fact, necessary and not wasteful and will be a productive use of public funds.

The members of BOTH political parties need to stop dancing around (the music has stopped) and be willing to justify their own spending requests. If they cannot individually do this, the President must insist or refuse to sign the bill(s). That is his responsibility.

Is President Obama going to show the political courage to take on the members of not only the minority party but his own Party?

Is the majority Party going to live up to their collective promise to bring change and responsibility to this process?

Is the minority Party going to prove that their criticism is correct by removing, at least their own requests for what they condemn as "wasteful spending"?

Is anyone going to do the correct thing or after all the "spin" and all the talking will it just be business as usual?

It is "TIME TO THINK AGAIN"