Who wants to see Jeff Flake and Ron Paul discuss earmarks?

[skyorbit]

I do!

http://freedomwatch.uservoice.com/fo...bate-earmarks-

I just submitted this suggestion to FreedomWatch.

"I'd like to see Jeff Flake and Ron Paul on at the same time discussing earmarks. As I understand it An earmark simply takes money that was already in the bill, and redirects it, so Ron Paul's position is, he doesn't want the bill to pass, but if it does Congress should make the decision on how said money is spent not the executive."

Jeff Flake's position is, these bad bills wouldn't get passed in the first place if the ear-marks "bribing" system wasn't there to begin with. Both sincerely believe their position is the one that shrinks government I believe.

I'd really like to see this discussion.

Please vote for it.

Tracy

[Kregisen]

My two favorite congressmen. That would be pretty cool.

[nobody's_hero]

I'd like to, but I'm not sure I want Ron to have this discussion while he's on the campaign trail. I'd rather keep the earmark issue hush-hush, since it seems to be a chink in Ron's armor. Several GOP folks I've talked to about Ron Paul seem to think that his practice of requesting earmarks and then voting against the whole package is a bit shady. I can see where they're coming from; it does look bad, in a way, when you request more earmarks than any of the 'big government' politicians, vote against it, and then get them anyway.

[payme_rick]

I'd like to, but I'm not sure I want Ron to have this discussion while he's on the campaign trail. I'd rather keep the earmark issue hush-hush, since it seems to be a chink in Ron's armor. Several GOP folks I've talked to about Ron Paul seem to think that his practice of requesting earmarks and then voting against the whole package is a bit shady. I can see where they're coming from; it does look bad, in a way, when you request more earmarks than any of the 'big government' politicians, vote against it, and then get them anyway.

Yah, Pat Gray of the Glenn Beck radio show has hammered Paul on this quite a few times...

He maybe shouldn't debate someone on it, but he should for sure be ready to defend it...

[Koz]

I'd like to, but I'm not sure I want Ron to have this discussion while he's on the campaign trail. I'd rather keep the earmark issue hush-hush, since it seems to be a chink in Ron's armor. Several GOP folks I've talked to about Ron Paul seem to think that his practice of requesting earmarks and then voting against the whole package is a bit shady. I can see where they're coming from; it does look bad, in a way, when you request more earmarks than any of the 'big government' politicians, vote against it, and then get them anyway.

I agree, this is the one issue I don't agree with Ron on. I understand his argument, but it is a chink in the armor.

[VBRonPaulFan]

his whole concept though is that the money is already accounted for, budgeted, and slate to be spent. either Ron gets to direct tax money that came out of his district BACK to his district, or let Obama spend it... what would you do? i'd definitely try to funnel the money back if there's no way to wholly strip the funding from the bill/government budget.

[nobody's_hero]

his whole concept though is that the money is already accounted for, budgeted, and slate to be spent. either Ron gets to direct tax money that came out of his district BACK to his district, or let Obama spend it... what would you do? i'd definitely try to funnel the money back if there's no way to wholly strip the funding from the bill/government budget.

The question of whether or not the people in Ron's district even need to be convinced that Dr. Paul can 'bring home the bacon' in order to win their votes comes to mind. I firmly believe that the people in his district would support the good doctor even if he dropped his trousers and mooned every dollar that came from Washington.

You also have to look at how much of that money goes to fund the growth of government, which is detrimental to the doctor's philosophy.

Just the FEMA (big government)-related earmarks for 2009 alone:

• $10 million for Coast Guard to improve Galveston Rail Causeway
• $8.8 million for FEMA for drainage at Cove Harbor in Aransas County
• $2.2 million for FEMA to reconfigure and stabilize Capano Causeway Pier
• $500,000 for FEMA for Aransas County drainage master plan
• $35 million for FEMA for drainage in Friendswood
• $10 million for FEMA for drainage project for Friendswood/Clear Creek
• $10 million for FEMA for drainage project for Friendswood/Clear Creek
• $5 million for FEMA to recycle household hazardous waste in Friendswood

Not all of these earmarks get approved, but it does look incredibly rediculous that they're even requested. None of these would pass a Constitution litmus test, since it isn't the federal government's role to be doing things like recycling crap in Friendswood, whether those funds are 'accounted for' or not.

We might understand the doctor's reasoning for supporting earmarks, but to 'Joe Voter', they're easily turned off by these things without investigating Ron Paul in depth.

[qh4dotcom]

My two favorite congressmen. That would be pretty cool.

How can Flake be one of your favorite congressmen? He voted to extend the Patriot Act

[payme_rick]

Just the FEMA (big government)-related earmarks for 2009 alone:

• $10 million for Coast Guard to improve Galveston Rail Causeway
• $8.8 million for FEMA for drainage at Cove Harbor in Aransas County
• $2.2 million for FEMA to reconfigure and stabilize Capano Causeway Pier
• $500,000 for FEMA for Aransas County drainage master plan
• $35 million for FEMA for drainage in Friendswood
• $10 million for FEMA for drainage project for Friendswood/Clear Creek
• $10 million for FEMA for drainage project for Friendswood/Clear Creek
• $5 million for FEMA to recycle household hazardous waste in Friendswood

.

It's ridiculous...

Where I'm at they shut down our boat ramp for about three months to re-dredge the harbor... I'm sure it needed to be done, but I was disturbed when I read the project's sign... It said the project was being funded by some federal government program that went to the communities effected by the 2008 hurricanes... I believe that year a hurricane hit at the bottom tip of Texas (Brownsville/Port Isabel area) and of course Ike in Galveston (far-Norther area of the Texas Gulf-Coast)... where I am at (Mid-coast/Coastal Bend area) I don't think we got an abnormal gust of wind off of any of these hurricanes... no rain from them or anything... NOTHING... yet we got some of that money to re-dredge a small harbor...

Kind of upsetting because if anything I'm sure Galveston still needed that money more than our little boatramp did... That and the boatramp was closed for three months during the winter (when the guys I fish with use that ramp the most).. so instead of skirting the North shoreline and having the North wind blocked for the most part (post-front), we had to dock out further away and head straight into that North wind to get to our holes...

[nobody's_hero]

It's ridiculous...

Where I'm at they shut down our boat ramp for about three months to re-dredge the harbor... I'm sure it needed to be done, but I was disturbed when I read the project's sign... It said the project was being funded by some federal government program that went to the communities effected by the 2008 hurricanes... I believe that year a hurricane hit at the bottom tip of Texas (Brownsville/Port Isabel area) and of course Ike in Galveston (far-Norther area of the Texas Gulf-Coast)... where I am at (Mid-coast/Coastal Bend area) I don't think we got an abnormal gust of wind off of any of these hurricanes... no rain from them or anything... NOTHING... yet we got some of that money to re-dredge a small harbor...

Kind of upsetting because if anything I'm sure Galveston still needed that money more than our little boatramp did... That and the boatramp was closed for three months during the winter (when the guys I fish with use that ramp the most).. so instead of skirting the North shoreline and having the North wind blocked for the most part (post-front), we had to dock out further away and head straight into that North wind to get to our holes...

Yeah, FEMA is not our friend. They'll bring the money and the aid, sure, and they'll also bring the guns to see that we take it.

[acptulsa]

The hurricane was Ike, and I really don't see why Ron Paul's constituents should have been punished for supporting the one honest man in Washington at the time. Some of us seem to be forgetting that the people of Texas 14 pay just as much too much in federal taxes as the rest of us. Now, did they elect him to represent them or did they not? And if he was (due to circumstances beyond his control) unable to get their federal taxes reduced, why is it ridiculous for him to ensure that they weren't completely and purely robbed outright?

It's like blaming the snow for being yellow.

[Kregisen]

How can Flake be one of your favorite congressmen? He voted to extend the Patriot Act

I never said he was perfect but 1. he's my congressman, 2. he's still arguably the most libertarian congressman besides Ron and maybe Justin Amash. (he's even against the war on drugs)

[trey4sports]

I never said he was perfect but 1. he's my congressman, 2. he's still arguably the most libertarian congressman besides Ron and maybe Justin Amash. (he's even against the war on drugs)

He's better than the vast majority of folks in congress.

[lester1/2jr]

earmarks are the ultimate red herring issue. They represent a miniscule amount of the budget and swearing off them just means the poeple of a given area will have one less thing , however arbitatrary and useless, and get nothing back in it's place.

[qh4dotcom]

I never said he was perfect but 1. he's my congressman, 2. he's still arguably the most libertarian congressman besides Ron and maybe Justin Amash. (he's even against the war on drugs)

No libertarian would ever agree with The Patriot Act....maybe you can call him a conservative but not libertarian
I used to send him donations but after I found out he voted for that garbage not a penny more from me.
He's also involved with the Obama birth certificate coverup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZNHNXq1_u4

[Kregisen]

No libertarian would ever agree with The Patriot Act....maybe you can call him a conservative but not libertarian
I used to send him donations but after I found out he voted for that garbage not a penny more from me.
He's also involved with the Obama birth certificate coverup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZNHNXq1_u4

I will never donate to him either, but you better damn know he's got my vote!! The Patriot Act vote was disappointing but no congressman besides Ron has voted on every major bill the libertarian way. Even Amash voted on some bill a while ago that disappointed people here IIRC

[The Dark Knight]

Overall Jeff Flake is pretty good. He has voted on a few things I disagree with but he has a good stance on the war on drugs and spending. He is a pretty strong fiscal conservative. It will be great to see him team up with Rand and Mike Lee in the Senate.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Yes