Congressional Earmark (PORK) disclosures..

CNN did a survey and reported results today of our representatives in the house.
• Interactive: What did your representative say?

Is your representative in Congress willing to share his or her list of earmark requests for 2008? CNN called the offices of 435 members of the House to ask whether they would make their lists public. Only 31 members' offices provided a list; of the others, 68 declined and 329 did not respond. Use the menus below to find out what your representative said.
(Download the full list - PDF)

District: California 52
Rep. Duncan L. Hunter (R)
Response: No

District: Colorado 06
Rep. Tom Tandcredo (R)
Response: No response

District: Texas 14
Rep. Ron Paul (R)
Response: Yes
View list (PDF)

Remember, Earmarks go in secretly. No debate, no objection, they just get slipped in a bill, usually unrelated to the earmark, usually by pleasing the leadership about something, usually only benefitting a particular district instead of the country.

In my opinion, any candidate for president should pledge to not participate in this unrepresentative practice. Or at least be willing to let the public know what he/she wants to spend their money on. Unfortunately, those not in the house of reps don't have to meet this scrutiny, which is a convenient hit for CNN against candidates they want nothing to do with anyway.

TheTownCrier

UPDATE: 6/24/07

Duncan Hunter has disclosed his earmarks. Good on him!!


Here's a sample of a Duncan Hunter 'earmark' ---- compare protecting the border with Ron Pauls $13 Million for the Nafta/Mexico to Canada Highway.....

Amount: $22 million

Hunter Initiative: Southwest Border Fence

Contractor: National Guard

The Southwest border continues to be a heavily utilized human and drug smuggling corridor into the United States. Since 1990, 7.6 miles of double layer fencing, 59 miles of single fencing and 169.5 miles of road have been constructed and rehabilitated along this prolific smuggling corridor. As a result, drug traffic in the region has drastically declined and the smuggling corridor allowing easy access between metropolitan areas has been eliminated. Completing the fence construction project in San Diego will allow counter drug assets to be re-deployed in other areas.
Funding will be used to continue work on the 14-mile double fence infrastructure project and construct at least 10 miles of double fencing at the Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona.