Granny Rant
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
::: Pigs Are Back At the Omnibus Trough :::
::::::::::::::: Super Bowl Of Pork ::::::::::::::
Click here for: Heritage Foundation Report
Listing of Pork Projects
Republican Senator from Arizona, John McCain was on fire in the Senate today in
opposition to the massive spending bill before them today. Calling for the veto
of the President, he cites a litany of "ridiculous" earmarks such as ... Olive fruitfly
research, indoor rain forest, rock and roll hall of fame on Blueberry Hill, Formosan
Subterranean Termite research, Potato storage, tree snakes, trout genome mapping
and Karnal bunt research. Senator McCain was furious at the $278 million of "pork"
stuffed into a mandatory passage bill.
Senator McCain cited copious omissions and additions to the bill in closed conference
as clear violations of the Senate Rules -- an obvious bow to special interests.
After a speech deemed by a Republican commentator on cable news as "one
of the best speeches" she ever heard, Americans learn today the contents of
the disastrous Omnibus Spending Bill for 2004. A bill that must be passed,
committee members have stuffed it like a proud Thanksgiving Turkey. And turkey, it
is.
Senators McCain, Byrd, Reed, Dorgan and Durbin as well as many others, tried to
help Americans understand the breadth of the irresponsible spending and the
bipartisan measures, already passed by both houses, now mysteriously absent.
Guns: Requires records from the purchase of fire arms from dealers to be held only
24 hours instead of 90 days, thus making the appropriate checks impossible. Does
not require the yearly inventory of weapons to be done to ensure no weapons
have been stolen or sold illegally. (Note: one of the DC Sniper's weapons was
purchased in this manner.)
Media: Regardless of the public outcry for the FCC to resist the top media owners
in changing the percentage of ownership from 35% to 45%, and a forced vote to
kill the change to 45%, this issue shows up again in the Omnibus Bill giving a 39%
ownership to CBS and Viacom -- since that is what they have already carved out
for themselves in violation of the 35% rule. Whew -- got that? Senator Dorgan
was a member of that conference and saw and heard the gavel crack on the
35% agreement ... then surprise, it is changed to 39% in the Omnibus.
Education: "No Child Left Behind" Cut $6 billion affecting 24,000 children.
Just a thought: If education is cut, where will the engineers come from
for the President's Missions to the Moon and Mars?
Overtime: A bill aimed at 8 million Americans - people making over $22,000 -
was rejected in September. The President wants it passed for some of the
following: Air Traffic Controllers, Firefighters, Health Care Workers, Nurses,
Military Reservists, Paralegals, Police, Social Workers and a multitude of
other Americans. Not only are workers in these fields expected to bear the
burden of the tax cuts for the top 1%, now they can be expected to work
more hours for less pay.
Cuts: The President plans cuts for Homeland Security -- laying off screeners,
many less air marshals, cargo not screened. Cuts for Veterans Health Care,
cuts for NASA to fund the International Space Station which has already
been experiencing problems and may already "not be safe." Cuts may end
Radio Free Europe, Cuts means the grand AIDS in Africa program did not
get full funding for this time ... should be $3 billion, but only got $2 billion.
Democrats tried on three separate occasions to increase the funding to
the required $3 billion, but were blocked by Republicans each time.
WOW ... Granny is just beginning to find out what is included in the 1182
page Omnibus Spending Bill. And remember, this is a "sure pass bill" or
"must pass bill" as they call it because it is required to fund the government.
I am stunned.
Gran
