One Man's Beef is Another Man's Pork
There’s a long tradition in Washington of pork barrel politics: when one member votes for another’s federal dollar giveaway, he gets to call in one of his own. When you read the “newsletters” of our politicians, they’re filled with self-congratulation for the pork that they’ve “brought home.” In a little place like Humboldt County, a couple of million is considered a lot of money. In Washington, it is, as Everett Dirkson used to say: “A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.”
In the Northcoast Journal this past week, there was an article about Congressman Mike Thompson, or rather, about three people who want to run against him for voting in favor the war, the “Patriot” Act, domestic spying and a bunch of other things Democrats don’t usually support. One of Thompson’s detractors, however, was forced to “give the devil his due” and praised him for helping get $3.7 million in federal funds for the Redwoods Rural Health Center. Not being in SoHum, I know nothing about the Health Center, but I do know that people from, say, Poughkeepsie or Walla Walla would consider it pork.
Then there’s the money that might or might not be available for something like the rail and port improvement project that promises to connect the metropolis of South Fork with the booming port city of Samoa. The Railroad Authority has asked the State for $19 million to work on this project, while the State is closing parks. Shrewd.
The other side of the equation, that we’ll never know, was what did Mike support to get $3.7 million for the Health Center? Was it voting to fund the “surge” in Iraq? Voting for the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act? Everyone in Washington says the same thing: “There was no quid pro quo.” And they’re lying.
Comments
Not millions, but billions. Actually it was "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money". One of my favorite quips.
And of course the quid pro quo is at the heart of politics. Has been, and probably always will be, though more often than not the examples you gave are not usual....it is usually you support my pork and I will support yours.
Posted by: Hayduke | January 12, 2008 06:11 PM