Earmarks Are Back

[applegrove]

Earmarks Are Back

February 15, 2021 at 4:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2021/02/15/earmarks-are-back/

"SNIP......

Punchbowl News reports that Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) will announce shortly the reintroduction of earmarks into the appropriations process.

Jake Sherman: “Earmarks help the leadership govern. People who don’t listen to leadership don’t get them. People who do, do. Whether you like them or not, that’s true.“

.....SNIP"

[CincyDem]

1. Improves the odds that Manchin stays in the fold. n/t

[Walleye]

2. Wow. Seems like they actually went to Washington to govern

[stopbush]

3. Excellent!

[Drahthaardogs]

4. Ear marks and pork barrel help get things done

Sad but true

[drray23]

5. very good.

that was an essential tool in the give and take of negotiations.

[genxlib]

6. I don't love this messaging

I think earmarks are a good tool of governance and I am glad they are back. But this phrasing is not great.

I would rather frame it as local control. The leaders that represent your state or district know what is best for them. This is a way to return Federal money to a community but have it controlled directly by the people you elect.

[scarletwoman]

7. Great point, great messaging! Well said!

[applegrove]

10. But part of it is that government is good too. People need to feel connected

to the fedral government rather than unmoured and thinking the deep state is the enemy. If unmoured from the federal government, they go to consoiracy theories. Humans are always looking for a creation myth. At least some of the people do. Think good infrastructure jobs and the like. That could be the foundation of home ownership or whatnot.

[sciencescience]

14. Agreed, this messaging is the worst.

If earmarks really are good they should create well documented reports with evidence showing why earmarks overall are a good thing. They should also create truthful but straightforward messaging for each individual earmark and for the group as a whole.

[WA-03 Democrat]

8. Game On!

Sweet!

[nuxvomica]

9. Good! This is a blow against the anti-government crowd

I think their elimination was a factor in people feeling government is not working for them.

[genxlib]

11. There is a side effect at work here though

This will give incumbents a real advantage when they bring home the bacon.

This could be a good thing if your incumbents are Democrats but could make it harder to beat incumbent Republicans.

[DLCWIdem]

12. Wouldn't those incumbent Reps need to conform to get that pork

[OnDoutside]

15. Exactly. Get the popcorn out, this may get interesting.

[MichMan]

13. Good, bribing politicians for their votes is part of effective governance

Making sure the red states get screwed in the process