Please Don't Pass the Pork

Utah – and 49 other states – are grappling to match expenditures with revenues. (For the federal types, that’s a financial principle called “balancing a budget”). It is frustrating to watch the feds ladle the pork. Their efforts won’t stimulate the economy. Congress is simply piling debt on future generations, courting inflation, and pushing favors to friends. (And, as a side note, it’s tough to be too impressed with the Republicans' new-found religion on this score, since it was only 4 months ago that they were gaga for government bailouts.)

I’m running a transportation funding bill that might be a starting point in deterring some of the fed's pork-barrel practices. The feds collect gas tax money and send it back out to the States on a formula basis. In other words, a state will receive $X for transportation projects. But, to build patronage, congressional-types earmark many of those funds, so that they can brag to Mayor So-and-so that they delivered his road project.

But, in that process, they don't add any money to the State's cut. The total is still $X. Instead, on the basis of political patronage, they reshuffle the money. To curry political favor, they take money from a higher-priority project and point it to a lower-priority project (i.e., bridges to nowhere). (And, of course, the braggadocio press releases that accompany the reallocations don't point out, "And, guess what, Mayor What's-your-name. We used your money to do it. Eat that!"). They know that there are too many steps to track back to them the fact that they bumped back a more worthwhile project. It's another way for Congress to gain political power, while marking time on society's pressing issues that they should be addressing.

My bill would prevent the State and local communities from spending any transportation money that has been earmarked as described above. If it were to pass, our Congressional types would be locked out of the earmark game. Any earmark they secured would simply deduct from the total money Utah would receive. Pretty simple.

Here's how this will play out. Feds aren't overly worried about many things -- national debt, immigration, social security viability, etc. But they care very much about re-election. Mess with patronage, and you get their attention.

First, starting with my city, they will threaten all mayors that they will be locked out of the game, if their Sen/Rep supports the bill. And that perfectly illustrates what's wrong with the status quo; rather than serving the people, they have built up a system where they can require support of themselves.

Second, they will say that the simpletons back home don't understand the issue. We do. This one is pretty straight-forward.

Third, they will say this is a power struggle. It's not. The Legislature has ceded much of its authority to prioritize projects to the Transportation Commission -- attempting to ensure that transportation funding is based on need more than patronage.

This is worth discussing. Buckle up and join the debate!