Elephants & Earmarks

A congressional spokesman recently asked me what I thought about a piece written by Ron Paul (below). Here is my response.

The piece by Ron Paul
http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2007/tst061807.htm

On New Zealand's Deregulation
http://panda.xyzdns.net/~damp/NewZealand.html.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ron
• Paul
• libertarian
• earmarks
• constitution
• Jeremiah
• Bannister
• paleocrat
• deregulation
• olivet
• college

[ListenForTruth]

Ron Paul needs to read the consitution and stop reading CIA reports that are never correct about any thing. Paul did over 400 million in earmarks last year.

Goggle:

The Constitution For Dummies (i.e. Ron Paul Supporters)

[paleocrat]

Are you a cartoon? Ron Paul needs to read the Constitution? Which part do you think he should read first?

Standards of weights and measures.

State's rights.

Mandatory declaration of war

Separation of school and state

Military defense over interventionism

Oppose central banking

Oppose unconstitutional bureaucracies

strict constitutional judges

Sounds like a platform that could have been written by our founders. Sounds good to me.

[paleocrat]

And you support who? Who is thedyed in the wool Constitutionalist this time around?

Unless you are backing a third party candidate, you are wasting your time trying to answer the question. Ron Paul is the only candidate within the major parties who reflects both the Constitution and the values held by those who framed it.

[bbburton]

It's not enough to ask where in the Constitution does Congress have the authority to authorize particular spending or earmarks. You have to ask 'what does the spending or earmark do that advances the objectives that the Constitution clearly seeks to achieve?' Most earmarks are intended to benefit a single person or entity. This clearly violates the Constitution.

[paleocrat]

Agreed.

I would argue that the Preamble is clarified by the specific delegated powers later mentioned. The Preamble gives general goals, not means. Article 1 Sec. 8 (specifically) give us the means by which to attain and secure those general goals. This is nothing more than casuistry and case-law, two things the founders were very familiar with.

[donteatthekalanchoe]

can't get past the junk music intro.

[davidmesaaz]

His district has not just received 400 million dollars in federal funding he has received 400 million on top of the traditional appropriation dollars. 400 million of pure pork.

[davidmesaaz]

Wrong... earmarks are a opaque backdoor way of spending outside of the tradition appropriation channels.

But what kind of 'help' is he receiving? Money to refurbish private business? (Millions for privately owned movie theatres) Money public dollars research and development for the shrimp industry? How can that be part of the limited government objectives?

[hammurderer2]

Earmarks just set aside money that will already be spent. It will be spent anyway, so he tries to use it to help his district. It's not against the rules.

[davidmesaaz]

What is the answer in the video Ron Paul and Earmarks he says that they don't limit spending but he votes against them. Why does he vote against them if they don't limit spending.

Look the people of Houston should recieve federal funds for highways constitutionally defined limited government but Ron Paul district should not receive corporate handouts.

He puts the earmarks in the bills that he knows will pass then he votes against them.

[bgabbs69]

Watch his Meet the Press interview on 12/23 and you'll get your answer.

[davidmesaaz]

Wall Street Journal

Ron Paul's Earmarks

August 6, 2007

After reporters started asking questions, the Congressman disclosed his requests this year for about $400 million worth of federal funding for no fewer than 65 earmarks. They include such urgent national wartime priorities as an $8 million request for the marketing of wild American shrimp and $2.3 million to fund shrimp-fishing research