When confronted by a huge increase in federal spending under his watch, President Bush and his supporters quickly roll out the War on Terror (search) as an excuse.
But national security can also be a great cover for local pork -- that is, using federal tax dollars to fund local projects that have nothing to do with the national defense. In fact, about half of the $33 billion homeland security bill signed into law last week has little, if anything, to do with protecting us from terrorists.
For example, the two senators from Montana inserted a $3 billion payout to local farmers in the homeland security bill. Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Conrad Burns claim that their drought relief package helps us preserve our resources in case of attack. But the spending watchdog group called Citizens Against Government Waste (search) sees this as just another example of pork masquerading as national security.
Says the group: “Drought relief has nothing to do with homeland security and should not get wrapped up in the essential task of defending the homeland from terrorists. For elevating home state politics above homeland security and ignoring the deficit, Senators Baucus and Burns are Porkers of the Month for October 2004.”
And that’s the Asman Observer.
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